


With Arms Wide Open

by Hopesjourney



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Drama, Erotic vampire sexuality, F/M, Humor, Learning a new life, Minor Violence, Regrets, Sadness, Sensuality, Trauma, Vampire Bellamy, Vampire Clarke, Vampire Jasper, Vampire Murphy, Vampires (NOT Dracula type)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:41:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 118,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24634723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hopesjourney/pseuds/Hopesjourney
Summary: This story is the second story in theHer Shadow Mansaga. It begins immediately after HSM ends.  If you have not read that story, you will not get this one probably. These characters are my take on vampires. NOT like Dracula at all!Clarke Griffin Blake has now entered the world of the undead.  Bellamy takes her to Seattle to help her to adjust to her new life.  How will she deal with all the changes this makes in her life? No more lying on the beach with Raven and Harper, no more spicy food?  This could be the worst thing that's every happened to her - except that Bellamy is there with her, guiding her.  Soulmates, forever love, together always.Or, Clarke embraces her new life which shocks Bellamy.New chapters every Tuesday and Friday.
Relationships: Abby Griffin/Marcus Kane, Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Jasper (Kane) and OC, John Murphy/Raven Reyes, Monty Green/Harper McIntyre
Comments: 79
Kudos: 77





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The name of this fic is from the song With Arms Wide Open. It signifies complete changes to life; embracing what is ahead. I hope you will enjoy this story and please, let me know if you like it! Kudos and comments keep me going.
> 
> Bellamy had to turn Clarke in order for her continue her life. He couldn't say live exactly, because of course they were 'undead' now. His pain and guilt over not being able to protect her from this tragedy haunts him and he understands that they both have healing to do in order to make this work. Meanwhile, Murphy and Raven must make sure that all will be taken care of in LA, which includes telling Abby that Clarke is now a vamp.

Chapter 1

_**Well I just heard the news today,**  
**Seems my life, is gonna change.**  
_  
Raven, Murphy, Elka and Colleen watched as the chopper took off from the beach stirring up a froth of sand in the wash from the rotors. Raven closed her eyes as she felt the fine particles sting her face, almost like sunburn. 

_The sun, she and Clarke and Harper would never again sit on this beach under the sun and luxuriate in the golden rays. The heat was a comforting thing, soothing. Almost a placebo for whatever doctors were prescribing for anxious patients now days. Now, Clarke would never feel it again, not without pain._

She wiped her face, smoothing away the grit of the sand only to realize that it had clung to the tracks of the tears that she had cried. She walked out to the water and splashed some onto her face, unwilling to venture into the house where her friend had been. 

Murphy started to follow her, concerned as to what she planned to do but Elka reached out and stopped him, her cool hand tugging on his arm. “Give her a few minutes Murphy,”

He nodded but watched her still, not sure if she was planning on taking a permanent swim or just wanted some private time. His heart broke for her, watching what had happened to Clarke. “She should never have witnessed that,” he told Elka and Colleen.

“It’s not just that Murphy; she killed someone tonight. Did you forget that? It might have been someone who attacked her best friend, but I’m sure she’s never done such a thing before.” Colleen whispered the words, her heart aching for the human girl who seemed so lost.

Elka looked around, at the dying fire, Bellamy’s jacket and the remains of the party that littered the beach. Her mind also thought about the bathroom in the house; someone needed to clean it up. 

As she vocalized her thoughts and Colleen nodded and said, “We can’t call the Cleaners on this one, let me go and take a look, if you want to work out here. Don’t forget the blood in the sand; you should pour some water on it to wash it away or haul it out into the water; that’s probably best.”

“Okay,” Elka said as she began picking up the things that weren’t disposable. She saw the remains of the shoes in the fire and wondered what they should do with them. The fire was only smoldering and wasn’t hot enough to finish burning them. She looked at them pointedly and then at Murphy, an unvoiced question in her eyes.

Murphy shrugged, “Tar pits maybe? Not sure. Wrap them in Bellamy’s jacket; I’m sure he won’t want it anymore. We’ll figure it out later.” He turned back to Raven, standing knee deep again in the Pacific. He watched as her shoulders shuddered with her silent tears and at her hands which were balled tightly into fists. As hard and tough as he tried to be, one of his weaknesses was women’s tears. They just tore him up and watching Raven was no different. 

Murphy could fix a lot of things, but this thing? He didn’t have a clue what to do to make it better. He knew they had a lot to do still this night and while he wanted to give Raven time, it was running short. He glanced at his watch; a few minutes before ten. It felt as if it should be much later than this he thought. 

Elka had cleaned up most of the mess and he said, “I’m going up to get Bellamy’s car. I think he left the keys in it; I’m hoping anyway. I’ll move it down here so that we can get her into it.”

“Good idea,” she told him as she scooped more sand onto the remains of the fire. She looked around, she needed a bucket or something to carry the sand to the water and to pour a couple of bucket fulls over the fire too. I should have done that before I smothered it with sand she thought.

Elka found a bucket under the kitchen sink and carried the bloody sand down the beach and dumped it into the water, hopefully out of Raven’s sight and then she checked the fire too. The beach looked untouched she decided as she headed back into the house to see if Colleen needed any help. By that time Murphy was back with the car and had taken up his stance again watching Raven, a pensive look on his face as he rocked back and forth on his heels in the shifting sand. The beach was never a place she would ever have pictured Murphy at, and yet, here he was. The Armani suit somehow made him look quite comfortable, as if he were a model posing in the sand, except for the look on his face that is.

Inside she found Colleen stuffing Clarke’s clothes into a plastic bag. She mentioned Bellamy’s jacket and the shoes and Colleen asked her to bring them in too so Elka headed out to grab them. Murphy had walked out to where Raven was standing and stood quietly by her. Raven was hugging his jacket tightly to her but otherwise they weren’t touching or talking, just standing quietly in the surf.

“How is she?” Colleen asked when Elka came back in.

“Still not saying a word, just standing there in the water. I think she is in shock.”

Colleen nodded and took the jacket with the shoes rolled up in it and stuffed it down with the clothes before tying it tightly closed.

“What do we do with those? We can’t risk them being found.” Elka said.

Colleen nodded and told her, “I’ll take care of them; no one will ever find a trace.”

Elka figured it was probably a cleaner thing and nodded agreement, happy to leave that task to her. Everything looked pristine and both women nodded as they checked that no traces of what had happened here remained. After grabbing Raven’s and Clarke’s purses they turned off the lights and found a key to the door on Raven’s key chain. They walked out to the beach and saw that Murphy was walking Raven back onto the sand.

“I drove my car,” Elka said, “So I’ll head on out. Colleen, would you like to ride with me?”

Colleen watched Murphy and Raven and decided that she should ride with them, in case Murphy needed help with her. “No, I think I’ll ride back with them,” she said, motioning to the pair who was walking slowly towards them.

“Might be a good idea,” Elka agreed. 

Murphy had heard the whole conversation and nodded, agreeing with the decision. Elka raised her hand in farewell and left. 

Raven looked up when she heard the purr of the engine in Elka’s car. Her own was in the garage and she headed towards it so she could drive home. 

“Hey, why don’t you ride with me and Colleen back into town? We can come and get your car in the morning, okay?”

Hearing him speaking directly to her sort of shook her out of her reverie and for the first time in the last half an hour she looked around her, seeing that the beach was clean, no traces of the party remained. As if it never happened…

“Okay,” she said, heading straight for the Benz. Colleen was already in the car, sitting in the back seat and waiting for Murphy and Raven. She could keep her eye on Raven better from back there she had decided.

Murphy opened the passenger door for her and she climbed in and settled onto the leather seat. She felt sure that Bellamy would not appreciate her sitting there being soaked in saltwater as she was but right now she didn’t care. She could reimburse him later for the cleaning and reconditioning. 

She took a deep breath and leaned against the windows, staring blankly out as the world rushed by. Tonight, she had killed someone – tonight her best friend had died and been reborn, of sorts. It should all balance and yet somehow it didn’t.

):(

When the helicopter landed at the small airport Bellamy climbed out, still holding Clarke in his arms, clutching her to him tightly, as if she were the most precious gift. Her heart was beating a steady but very slow rhythm; still, it was a little faster than normal for a vamp, but it could be because her body was getting used to its new existence as the vamp virus worked through her system. She breathed in and out slowly; small and shallow breaths that gave him false hope that he hadn’t took her human life.

But he had. He had promised her he would do it when the time was right. Oh God, why did it have to be now he lamented? Why couldn’t she have made it a few more years before this thing happened to her?

Why?

Because he had failed her. He hadn’t kept her safe and now she was forced to live in his world. Too soon, much too soon. The lump of white-hot pain burned his throat and its accompanying tears made his eyes feel on fire. He swallowed hard, trying to force the lump down, the tears away as he focused on the task at hand – getting Clarke to Seattle so she could rest.

He climbed aboard the jet, still carrying Clarke as if she were weightless. He saw Grant, Murphy’s co-pilot waiting to greet him, standing aside so that Bellamy could make his way into the cabin.

“Welcome aboard Mr. Blake. Steven and I will be seeing you to Seattle tonight. I’m very sorry about the circumstances.”

Bellamy nodded briefly as he made his way to the couch, settling on it and laying Clarke down next to him. He smoothed the blanket around her and worried because she felt warm, too warm and decided that he should put her into the freezer after they got in the air.

Grant walked back into the cabin, carrying two glasses of fresh blood for Bellamy. “Mr. Murphy said to be sure you drank these Mr. Blake; he wanted me to remind you that when Mrs. Blake awakens you will need it.”

As Bellamy stared at the glasses on the tray his stomach turned, doing flip-flops and he felt sick, but he recognized that Murphy was right. When Clarke woke up, she would need to feed immediately, and he needed to be prepared. He said, “Thank you Grant. Can you set them in the holder please,” referring to the built-in cubby that kept beverages from tipping.

“Certainly. There are no attendants on board tonight,” he said kindly. 

Bellamy knew that was because all of Murphy’s flight attendants were human and if Clarke awoke during the flight the last thing they needed to worry about was her going after someone. 

“Mr. Murphy also wanted me to give you this information. Instead of landing at SeaTac we are landing at the Brighton Airfield, north of Seattle. A helicopter will be meeting us there and will fly you over to the west bank near your house. He feels this will work better, again in case the young lady should wake up. Your caretaker will meet us there.”

“Thank you, Grant. After we get in the air I’m going to move Mrs. Blake into the freezer; she definitely feels too warm and I’m a bit concerned about her.” As he spoke, he unwrapped the blanket from her, hoping that would help a bit.

“Of course, Mr. Blake. I’ll go and turn it on and then I’ll be heading forward so we can get into the air. If you need anything, please press the call button.”

Bellamy nodded and sat back in the seat, closing his eyes and trying not to re-live the past hour or so. But somehow the memories would not be pushed out and he lived them in vivid Technicolor, the sights and sounds making him wince.

As he and Murphy had made the run to the beach all he could focus on was Clarke, lying motionless and Elka and Raven next to her. He had vaguely been aware that Kelly had fallen into the fire, but he wasn’t sure exactly how that happened. It didn’t matter really; all that mattered was that she was dead for real this time. 

He should be raging angry with Murphy right now, but he wasn’t. He knew that Murphy had honestly believed that Kelly was dead. Bellamy knew he wouldn’t want to be Katrina when Murphy got a hold of her.

They were in the air and Grant spoke over the intercom, “Mr. Blake, you can move Mrs. Blake now if you like.”

Bellamy pushed the button and said, “Yes, I will. Thanks Grant.” He finished the last couple of drinks in the glass and then stood up and gathered Clarke gently in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. True to his word Grant had turned the freezer on and he first laid Clarke on the bed and undressed her before laying her in the freezer. He leaned over and kissed her chilly lips and then closed the lid with a soft click.

He felt as if he had killed her himself. Shutting that lid, its resounding click felt like a keening death toll; a door that shut itself on his Clarke’s life. He sat down on the bed and rested his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands and let the tears fall.

):(

Tim watched as the cargo chopper lifted and swooped out over the black water of the sound, its whump, whump, whump sound fading into the night. He headed back into the house and made sure everything was ready for Bellamy and Clarke.

Mary was inside, storing the blood that the chopper had brought in the hidden fridge. She slid the panel shut and then gripped the edge of the counter and took a deep breath. Even though she didn’t need one, it felt good, calming for her in the midst of these tragic circumstances. She heard her husband come in the door and hastily wiped away the tears, knowing that it wouldn’t fool him because he would be able to scent them in the air.

Tim immediately knew that his mate was crying. She was very fond of young Clarke and was very upset over this sudden situation. Murphy had explained briefly, enough to let them know that Bellamy had to turn her, and he was upset about it.

He walked up behind Mary and spoke to her in their native Cheyenne, something that they both found comforting. “ _Nemehotatseme matamaha_ ,” he whispered against her neck, kissing it lightly. 

“I love you too old man,” she returned to him, choking the words out as more tears fell. “ _Vaotsevahe-kase’eeheheve vai_.”

“Yes, she is very young for this, but they will love each other enough to make it okay,” he answered. He caught the sound of the other chopper coming in and said, “Dry your tears, they are here. Come…” he said, holding his hand out to her so they could go back down to the beach.

They watched the chopper land and waited while the door was opened so Bellamy could step down, Clarke in his arms. Mary’s breath drew in sharply when she realized that Clarke still wasn’t alert. Tim’s arm around her shoulder pulled her a bit tighter against him in a comforting gesture.

Bellamy walked silently up the beach, the bright moonlight easily showing him the way, even if he didn’t have vampire sight. He spotted Tim and Mary waiting at the top of the path for him but kept his eyes determinedly focused on the house in the distance. 

As he neared them Tim nodded his head in greeting. Mary drew in a sharp breath at how pale Clarke looked and started to reach for her, but a low growl emanated from Bellamy and she hastily pulled her hand back in shock. This was a Bellamy she didn’t know.

“It’s his mate Mary; he is still protecting her,” Tim whispered against her ear. He remembered how he had felt when he turned her; he wouldn’t have let anyone else touch her.

They followed Bellamy up the steps to the yard and Tim moved ahead to open the door to the house for him. “Murphy had a new freezer sent for you, it arrived about half an hour ago; it’s a double wide and pretty fancy. I’ve turned it on and it’s ready for her.”

Bellamy didn’t acknowledge the words, only headed to the stairs, taking them two at a time. Tim didn’t follow but said, “I have some other information for you from Murphy. After you get her settled, come on down and we’ll talk.” 

From the top of the stairs Bellamy nodded his head before heading down the hall to the bedroom. Tim sighed and shook his head; even when Bellamy first came here he wasn’t quite like this.

_1997_

_Morgan Talkingbird had called Tim and told him that they had someone coming to look at the lodge and would Tim please be available to show it. Tim had watched as the black Mercedes had pulled up the driveway and came to a smooth stop. A tall, dark haired man stepped from the car and Tim could see that his spirit was wounded. It was apparent in the hunch of his shoulders and the pain etched across his drawn face. And his eyes, well if it was true that they were the windows to someone’s soul then this man’s soul was wide open and torn apart._

_As he drew closer both men recognized the truth of the other and Bellamy let out an unconscious sigh. Tim Tallchief was a vampire; maybe that could be a good thing._

_Tim walked forward, his hand extended and said, “Welcome to Seattle Mr. Sandoval. I’m Tim Tallchief, the caretaker here and I’ll show you around the lodge.”_

_Bellamy took his hand and shook it firmly, taking in the imposing height of the other man. He had to be at least 6’6” if he was an inch, broad-shouldered and well-muscled. Bellamy could tell that he was old, in vampire years but what his human age had been when he was turned wasn’t obvious. Anywhere between 45 and 70 Bellamy guessed._

_Bellamy shifted his focus to the house itself, if you could call it that. “This is big, impressive. Why are they selling for such a low price? And how many bedrooms are in this place?”_

_“It was originally built as a lodge, for paying guests. It has 6 bedrooms and seven bathrooms. And it also has one hell of a view of downtown Seattle on clear nights. Real pretty. They guy who built it chose to ignore the ‘no game hunting’ clause in the land contract and eventually left when he realized the tribe wouldn’t give in on that. This lodge sits on 5,000 acres of a 20,000 acre preserve that belong to the tribe. Are you agreeable to the restrictions of the purchase?”_

_“Absolutely,” Bellamy agreed. “The ad said it was 5, 000 acres, secluded with a large house. It sure didn’t sound like this.”_

_“Is it more than you want to deal with?” Tim questioned. He hoped that Bellamy didn’t feel that way; there was something about the young man he liked._

_“No. For the price it’s a steal. I feel guilty even contemplating it.”_

_Tim smiled and nodded. “They are more worried about finding someone who will respect their beliefs Mr. Sandoval. I think you might be a good fit.”_

_“Bellamy, please,” Bellamy said as they walked up the steps to the front door. He waited while Tim unlocked it and they stepped into the house. It was beautiful he decided; he wrote the check that day._

In the kitchen Mary pulled down three mugs and filled them with some of the blood that the chopper had brought. She sat them on the table and then sat down, picking at her fingernails nervously as she waited for Tim to come and sit down with her.

He took her hand and raised it to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it. “He’ll be okay Mary. Give him time.”

She nodded and sipped at the mug of O+. They could hear sounds from upstairs, muffled movement and then quiet for a few minutes. Finally, they heard his steps on the bare boards of the stairs sounding loud in the quiet stillness of the house. He had pulled on a different shirt from the one he’d been wearing when they arrived. It had had blood stains on the arm of it and was probably a sad reminder to him of what had happened.

Bellamy sat down at the table and looked at the mug in front of him. He wasn’t really hungry; he’d drank two glasses on the plane. He held it between his palms and traced a finger over the rim, anything to avoid looking at Tim and Mary.

_He’d growled at her; he was ashamed._

As if sensing some of his reticence Mary spoke up. “It’s alright Bellamy; you were just taking care of your mate.”

He looked at her for the first time, lifting large fathomless velvet brown eyes to her and she saw the tears that glistened in them. “I – I…” He couldn’t speak yet he thought as he tried swallowing a lump down in his throat; it felt about the size of a tennis ball.

Mary reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. He held on to it tightly as Tim began to speak.

Tim nodded at the mug in front of Bellamy and said, “Drink up. You know that when she wakes up the first thing she’ll want is to feed.” 

Bellamy nodded almost imperceptibly and finally took a sip of the blood, choking it down for their sakes. And Tim was right; he’d need it when she woke up. IF she woke up. It was taking a long time, too long he thought.

“Murphy sent the blood when he sent the freezer and reminded us to make sure you feed. He’ll be sending more tomorrow along with some clothes for you both and personal items you might need. He told me to tell you that he and Raven were handling things there, so you didn’t need to worry. But he also said to give her folks a call tomorrow and not to forget to call him and Raven as well.”

Bellamy took another sip and this time it went down a bit easier. He should have known that Murphy would have things in hand. He and maybe Raven would be the ones to tell Abby and Marcus and Bellamy hated that, but it wasn’t something that should be done over the phone. He thought of all the others as well; Jasper and Ben. What the hell did they tell Ben? Whatever it was they would have to do it soon.

Tim watched as it all played across Bellamy’s face. He knew that Bellamy felt stunned about it all. Murphy had told him the basic story of what had happened but maybe Bellamy needed to talk. “Bellamy, do you want to talk about it nae’ha?”

Bellamy looked up when he recognized the Cheyenne word for son. He felt as if he’d come home, that maybe it would all be okay. He told them what had happened, of his guilt for not protecting her and let the pain and the tears flow as he did so. They cried with him and suddenly it didn’t seem quite as bad as it had a little while ago.

):(

When Tim and Mary left Bellamy climbed the stairs once again and headed into the bedroom. It was 4 am and he was tired he realized. He took his clothes off and headed into the freezer room, closing the door securely after him and making sure it was locked. He stood for a moment looking at the freezer that Murphy had bought; it was the Cadillac of freezers Bellamy had to admit. 

He pushed a button and the lid lifted and he settled down next to Clarke and wondered how to close it from inside. It was a hydraulic door and he was hesitant to just pull it shut. After a minute or so of running his hands over the interior his fingers brushed the lid and a panel lit up with a ‘close’ button on it. He touched it and the lid closed quietly and another button lit up, asking if he wanted it locked. He touched that button and heard a soft click and he stared at the display overhead. He found temperature controls (it was set on 32) and other buttons on the touch pad he wasn’t sure what to do with. Volume he wondered? He sighed and settled against the pad; it was some kind of gel or similar material and was very comfortable. He’d have to get them a freezer like this at home he decided.

He looked over at Clarke who seemed to be resting comfortably. She was breathing occasionally, a holdover from her human life. Still pale (which was to be expected) her lips held the slightest touch of pink to them. She looked peaceful and he was thankful for that. He closed his eyes and let himself rest.

):(

**_Welcome to this place,  
I’ll show you everything._ **

Clarke’s eyes snapped open suddenly. She was cold; no, not just cold, she was freezing – literally. She looked around her and realized Bellamy was next to her and they were in a freezer.

It all came back to her, the party on the beach, her being attacked. She wondered where Elka was. Surely Elka had turned her, otherwise she wouldn’t have made it. Bellamy wasn’t there, was he? Foggy memories began to flood her brain and she thought that maybe Bellamy had been there. But did he turn her? Shouldn’t she feel some kind of instant bond with her sire? She felt her mouth, to see if she had fangs, but nothing felt different. She decided they only came down when you were hungry. 

She couldn’t think, she was freezing. Her body was one huge goose bump and she needed to get out of the cold and into a warm bath or something. She didn’t want to disturb Bellamy, but she had to get out of here before she turned into a popsicle. After feeling along the side for a release or handle she sighed in frustration. Finally, she pushed at the lid and a light display came on. She saw ‘unlock’ and pushed it and then hit the ‘open’ button. The lid slid quietly open and she sat up as a rush of warm air from the room hit her, making her shiver. 

At the sound of the lid lifting Bellamy opened his eyes and brushed the frost away as he saw Clarke sitting on the side of the freezer. “Clarke,” he said, his heart flooding with relief to see her sitting there. She turned around and gave him a grin.

She, Clarke Blake was a vampire! She laughed, deciding this wasn’t going to be bad at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Murphy go to tell Dorothy what has happened. Jasper and Audrey go to pick up Travis and have some time to themselves later on. *minor smut* Bellamy helps Clarke through her first feeding. Murphy asks Raven to stay at his house for the night because he'd worried about her. Jasper is still worried that Travis is a vampire cat.

Chapter 2

Raven stared straight ahead with virtually unblinking eyes as they made the trip back into town. She listened as Colleen and Murphy talked about someone named Leo. He was apparently the person that Kelly had contact with.

“She was supposed to meet him at 11:00 tonight Murphy. If you drop me off there, I can take him out.”

“I dare say you could Colleen, but I’m going to provide you with some help so that it can be done quietly.” He pulled his phone out as they sat at a stop light and punched a number and waited impatiently for the call to be answered.

Raven and Colleen listened as Murphy made a call to someone named Ryan and made arrangements for him and Mike to meet them at the park where Leo was. Leo apparently was a vampire who had a thing for children’s blood. Raven felt sick to her stomach; maybe from that info, maybe from everything else that had happened. She really wasn’t sure but she definitely felt queasy.

“Okay Colleen, you’re good to go. They will make sure you get home afterwards.”

“My car is at Murphy Industries; I’ll need to get it from there. What are you going to do with Katrina?” she asked, curious.

“She’s going to have a terrible accident, by my own hands this time. You interested in her job Colleen? I need someone there that I can trust.”

Colleen was quiet for a moment, a small frown marring her face. She licked her lips and said, “No, but thank you, for your trust I mean. I think it’s time for me to retire from the Cleaners. Murphy, there were too many there that are fiercely loyal to Katrina; I wasn’t, and I’d have no authority over them. But you’d better be careful who you chose for the job because a couple of them will be treacherous.”

“We’ll have to have a talk about that. But, would you be interested in working for me, at Murphy? Good pay and perks Colleen and I highly value loyalty.”

Colleen only hesitated for a moment before responding, “I would like that very much Murphy. I’ll resign from the Cleaners tomorrow.”

“Well, wait on that until the Katrina issue is resolved, please. I don’t want her wondering why you are suddenly leaving the service.”

Raven listened to all this glib talk of death and realized that it didn’t even bother her. What is wrong with me, she wondered. _I KILLED someone tonight, I saw Clarke attacked and basically watched her die and then become a vampire_. Salty tears once again streaked her face and she thought of Abby and Marcus, among others. She had to tell them tonight, it couldn’t wait. “Murphy, I need to go and talk to Abby and Marcus.”

He looked at her briefly, his eyebrows raising a notch as he digested what she said. “Raven, don’t you think maybe it would be better to tell them tomorrow instead of tonight? Let them get a good night’s sleep instead of worrying about this?”

Raven shook her head no and gulped in a deep breath. “No. Murphy, if it was your child wouldn’t you want to know right away?” she said quietly, her brown eyes speaking volumes of the pain she was feeling.

He nodded as he pulled into the parking spot at the park. “Okay, you’re right.” As he looked around the parking area he spotted Ryan and Mike already waiting for them. “Colleen, your ride is here.” He and Colleen both got out of the car and went and spoke with the two men who waited by a bench. 

While she waited her phone rang and she looked and saw that it was Audrey calling. Apparently when Audrey had told Jasper he was determined to go to see Abby and Marcus as well. Raven made plans to meet them there and told Murphy about it when he slid back into the seat of the Benz. 

“Reinforcements, probably a good thing.” He cast her a sideways look as he pulled back out into traffic and asked for directions to their house. 

Raven answered him, her monotonic voice alerting him to just how hard she was trying to keep her emotions under control. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap and her breathing was harsh and unsteady. He knew it was a huge struggle for her because he was feeling the same way. It was his fault; all of this was his fault he knew because he trusted Katrina instead of making sure the job was done when he was there to witness it. He wouldn’t make that mistake with Katrina; he would take great pleasure in watching her die, the slower the better.

Another quick glance at Raven showed her worrying her lower lip in the glare of the oncoming headlights. He had killed before, it was second nature to a vampire even if they didn’t do it regularly. It was something in their vampire DNA he figured, but Raven? Well, she wasn’t a vampire and it started to sink in to him just how she must feel about it all. Strangely enough, the man with the answers had none for her. It was a sobering thought.

When they pulled up at Marcus and Abby’s house, they saw Jasper and Audrey getting out of his car. Murphy opened the door for Raven and held his hand out to help her out of the car. She looked down at her clothes, sandy and water-stained from standing in the swells for so long but it would have to do. She tugged and straightened and brushed off as much as she could before walking to where Audrey was standing.

For a moment they stared at one another and then in a single breath they came together, hugging one another tightly in the inky night. Both girls cried as the memories of the night washed over them. Finally they pulled apart, both of them wiping their eyes and taking deep breaths.

Jasper was beside himself at what had happened. He wanted to kill someone for the first time in his life; except of course Raven had already done that. And apparently wasn’t handling it well either. When Audrey had told him what had happened the young vampire went ballistic, something that was rare for him. Now, they were faced with telling two people that he loved dearly what had happened. He couldn’t even imagine how they would take it. 

The four of them walked towards the door and pushed the bell; it was only a few moments before Marcus answered the door. He stood there for a minute, looking at the four of them, taking in the girls pale, tear-stained faces and he knew, he just knew.

“Is she dead?” he asked, a feeling of panic rising in his throat.

“No, um, not really,” Murphy answered, meeting Marcus’ eyes and hoping that he understood that.

He did, he got it. Was it relief that sent shivers up his spine or was it torment? He didn’t know. “Come on in. We were just watching the news. I don’t know how she’ll take this though.”

They followed him into the house, to the family room where Abby was sitting on the couch, a glass of milk in her hand. As she took in their appearance she sat it down on the table next to her and stood up, her hand covering her mouth in a nervous gesture.

Jasper and Murphy both listened to her heartbeat and the babies as well. She was breathing quickly, and Murphy was afraid she would start to hyperventilate. She placed a hand over her baby bump and rubbed it tenderly for a moment and finally said, “Tell me.”

“Honey, why don’t you sit down,” Marcus encouraged and tried to gently guide her to sit. 

She pulled away from him, tugging her arm away from his hand willfully. Her eyes were sparkling brightly with tears and then they burst forth, running in rivulets down her face. “Tell me!” she demanded again. “Is she dead?”

Murphy looked at first Jasper and then Marcus. How did they answer that one? He took a breath, but before he could speak Raven reached out and held Abby’s hand, rubbing it softly between her own.

“She – there was an…” Words seemed to fail her for a moment, and she pulled in a deep breath and let it out in a harsh rush. “She was attacked, at the beach; at my beach house. Bellamy had to, um, he had to turn her Abby.” Raven barely got the words out; they were only painful whisper that made her throat ache as she spoke them. She watched Abby’s face as the words sunk in and watched as Abby sank in slow motion onto the couch, shock written starkly on her face. Raven dropped down onto her knees in front of Abby and licked her lips before speaking. “I’m sorry, so sorry. If I hadn’t asked her out there…”

“Shhh, Raven. It wasn’t your fault honey,” Abby said as she watched the tears flow down Raven’s face. “Where is she? Is she at home? Can I see her?” Abby asked, one question quickly following the other.

“No, Bellamy took her to Seattle, to their house where she can get used to everything in seclusion. Abby, you won’t be able to see her, I’m sorry for that.” Murphy hated saying the words, but she might as well understand from the beginning.

“Seclusion? Why can’t I see her? She’ll want me there!”

“No honey. Don’t you remember when Jasper was turned? They – they can’t be around humans because of the blood for a little while. Remember?” Marcus asked, hoping that it would all come back to her.

The word ‘they’ meaning vampire, sliced through her and with that came the true understanding of what happened. “I don’t care! She wouldn’t hurt me, she’s my daughter!” Abby’s voice was just shy of yelling and hysterical to boot. Marcus was scared and knew they needed to calm her quickly. This wasn’t good for the babies. It was understandable, but definitely not good.

Jasper stepped forward and knelt down on one knee and said, “Abby, Bellamy is the best sire; I know that from experience, remember?” He smiled at her reassuringly and continued, “He’ll get her used to it pretty quickly, I know and then they’ll come home and you can see her. I promise,” he said, hoping that she would accept that. Murphy and Marcus both nodded, trying desperately to give her some faith in it all. 

Abby looked at Raven again, sitting in front of her trying desperately to hold back more tears. Something else was wrong, she could see it in Raven’s face, the way her shoulders were sloped, curving forward in a miserable gesture. 

“Raven, what else is wrong? What aren’t you telling me?” There was a sharp tone of panic in Abby’s voice as she reached out and took Raven’s hands in her own.

“I killed her, the woman who attacked Clarke, but more than that, it was my fault we were at the beach, so it’s my fault what happened to Clarkey.”

Marcus drew in a sharp breath at the pain that was in Raven’s voice. He watched as Abby slid down onto the floor and pulled Raven to her, hugging her tightly and rubbing her back, trying to comfort her. Abby held her while Raven’s heartbreaking sobs filled the room. Audrey was crying and so was Jasper; he even thought for a moment that he saw tears in Murphy’s eyes.

Marcus swallowed hard as he watched the two of them, unaware of the tears that were streaking his own face. Abby had been more of a mother to Raven all these years than her own parents were; there was an inexplicable bond that they shared over the years and Raven’s ill-conceived guilt and pain was tearing his wife up.

“No, no Raven, it’s not your fault sweetie, it’s not. Clarke is still with us, just in another way now and if you killed this person you did it in defense of Clarke. Shhh, it’s going to be okay, I promise.”

Raven nodded and tried to get herself under control. Slowly the sobs abated and all that was left was an occasional hiccup. When she looked up her face was red with the vigor of her grief. Abby brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her on her forehead, trying to wipe the tears away with her thumbs. Marcus grabbed a tissue from the box behind him and then thought better of it and grabbed the whole box, handing them around.

Murphy knelt down next to Raven and smiled at her, speaking softly said, “Raven, I know how hard this is for you, but you were the hero of the night. Kelly might have been able to get to Clarke again and things could have been so different.” He took one of her hands in his and said, “Please don’t feel this way; you probably saved Clarke.”

Raven nodded at him but couldn’t muster anything else. This night would live with her forever.

):(

An hour later, when everyone had talked it all through Raven, Murphy, Jasper and Audrey left, walking out to their cars.

“I guess I’d better go and get Travis,” Jasper said, resignation in his voice.

“We have to head over there now and grab some clothes and things for them. I’m having them flown up tomorrow. You guys want to follow us over there now?” Murphy asked as he unlocked the door of the Benz.

“Yeah, might as well. Audrey, you want to come with me?” At her nod he told Murphy, “We’ll meet you there.”

When Murphy and Raven were situated in the car Murphy pulled out his phone and called someone, asking them to bring the Ferrari to Bellamy’s so he could park the Benz. He had grumbled about the ‘dinosaur’ many times that night; in other circumstances Raven would have found it funny. Tonight, nothing in the world was funny.

At Bellamy and Clarke’s house they met Randy, one of the guys who brought the Ferrari over. Murphy thanked him and made sure the Benz was locked tight and then they headed upstairs. Jasper and Audrey weren’t there yet, they’d lost them somewhere on Wilshire and no wonder, the kid drove like an old man as far as Murphy was concerned.

Upstairs, as soon as they opened the door Travis made a beeline for them, jumping into Murphy’s arms and meowing pitifully. Murphy scratched him behind the ears, talking soothingly to him. “Travis, we gotta come to an understanding about the Armani, okay? It’s silk puddy cat. Silk. It doesn’t like kitty claws.”

Raven watched him with curious eyes as he cared for the cat, petting him and tying to comfort him. He was so gentle with the cat, almost loving. It didn’t quite jibe with the mental profile of him as a player and ruthless vampire that she thought he was.

Jasper and Audrey walked in and as soon as Travis saw him, he let out a plaintive meow, as if he knew what that meant.

What Jasper saw was the cat opening his mouth and showing fangs that were too big for an ordinary cat. And he was still sure that the cat’s eyes could silver over. “Did you see that?” he asked Audrey as he pointed a Travis. “He barred his fangs at me!”

“Jasper, don’t be ridiculous, he only meowed. I was watching him.” She walked over to Murphy and reached out for Travis who came willingly into her arms, purring loudly as she scratched his cheek. “Would you like to go and see Plato Travis? I know he’d like to see you.”

She continued to hold him while Jasper gathered Travis’ belongings to take with them. Soon he had everything and they headed out the door, Travis securely in his kennel. Murphy stood for a moment, looking at Raven who hadn’t said a word since the left Abby and Marcus’s house. He headed up the stairs and said, “If you could gather a few things for Clarke, that would be helpful. I’m sure she’d rather you hunt for her lingerie than me!” 

“Okay,” Raven said, heading up the stairs behind him. “What should I get?”

“Soft clothing mostly; her skin will be really sensitive at first. A few pairs of jeans and that kind of thing for later on. And whatever personal grooming items you think she’ll need.”

Raven quietly went about searching for the requested items; a silk robe and several soft cotton nightshirts and then she thought better of that – vampires sleep in the freezer, naked so she hastily put them back in the drawer. After she had what she hoped were the right items gathered and packed into a small bag she headed into the bathroom, gathering all the personal care items she knew Clarke would want and then added Bellamy’s stuff that she found too. She met Murphy back in the bedroom as he was finishing putting Bellamy’s clothes into another bag.

“I got all the stuff from the bathroom. I think we’ve got everything covered,” she told him. 

Murphy nodded and picked up Clarke’s bag as well as Bellamy’s and headed downstairs with Raven following with the overnight bag full of shampoo, deodorant and all that type of things. She closed the door behind her and headed down the stairs. Each hollow, echoing step felt like a door closing on Clarke’s life and for a moment she felt overwhelmed again.

Murphy smiled kindly at her; it would take her awhile to get past this, maybe a long while. “Are you ready to go? It there anything else you can think of?”

She shook her head no and headed for the door without another word. Murphy closed the door behind them and made sure it locked correctly. Before they knew it, the elevator whisked them down to the parking area and Murphy was tucking the bags into the Ferrari. “Raven, what if early afternoon tomorrow I take you out to pick up your car? I really think you need to rest now, okay?”

For a moment Raven thought about it; it might be relaxing to go out and get it and drive home with the wind blowing through her hair, but she was weary. She needed to rest; what she didn’t know was if she could.

“Would you like to stay at my house tonight Raven?” He saw her eyes spark for a moment as anger bubbled up. “In your own room, in a totally different part of the house from my living quarters, I promise.”

“Is this the part where your ‘meals on heels’ live?” she retorted, still suspicious, thinking about his freshies.

Despite himself Murphy couldn’t hold back a huge laugh. “Meals on heels? I love that. No, they live in another area. This would be the guest wing. You’d be totally by yourself in that area, but at least there would be other people around, if you, like uh, needed anyone.”

She wanted to fight it, she just wanted to go home but she didn’t want to be alone really. Finally, she nodded her assent and Murphy said, “Okay then. Do you need to stop by your place for a few things?”

“Yes, that would be helpful.” She choked back a sob that was trying to make its way up her throat and murmured, “Thank you Murphy.”

“Not a problem.”

):(

Jasper took Audrey home and when they got there she said, “Jasper, do you have to sleep in your freezer every night?”

He smiled at her and shook his head no and said, “No, I don’t. Would you like me to stay at your place; I can. I understand if you don’t want to be alone.”

“I would really like that Jasper; I – I just don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay, I’d be happy to stay.”

They carried in Travis and all his accoutrements and let him out as soon as they were inside. He immediately ran over to Plato and they nosed one another and as if by silent consent they stopped and grabbed a couple of nibbles of food and then headed out the kitty door. Jasper laughed and said, “Well, that takes care of those two!” He turned to Audrey and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close for a hug. “Do you have a pillow for me here on the couch?”

For a moment Audrey looked confused and then realized he meant to sleep on the couch. “I, um, I was talking about sleeping in the bedroom Jasper. I understand though, I’ll get you a pillow.” She figured that maybe he couldn’t rest in a bed with her.

 _The two of us are so unsure of one another that we are constantly misinterpreting half of what we say._ It was a startling thought to Jasper and one that brought a moment of crystal clarity.

“I’d be happy to stay with you, I just wasn’t sure you wanted that. Audrey, we’ve both got to be a little clearer about what we want.” He leaned down and lightly kissed her on the nose and then on her mouth. 

Her lips opened to his, her tongue tangling with his and she started pushing his jacket down his arms and then pulled off her blouse. “Is this clear enough Jasper? I want you.”

Jasper swallowed a nervous laugh down and instead emitted a low growl of desire. Oh yeah, he wanted this too and he told her so. She took his hand in hers and led him into her bedroom, shedding more clothes as she went. Maybe this was the wrong time to even think about this; the circumstance was horrible, but she only knew that she needed him as she had never needed anyone in her life.

By the time they got into the bedroom and by the bed both of them were naked. There was no embarrassment, no fear. It was just the two of them and it felt perfectly right. Audrey crawled up the bed and lay back among the pillows and Jasper followed her, taking in her beautiful body as he did. He had never imagined she would be this breathtakingly lovely, this sexy and just looking at her made him ache to be inside her.

He kissed her again, his cool mouth melding with her warm one; their tongues stroked and explored, tasted and delved as deeply as they could. Jasper’s hands weren’t hesitant at all as he moved them gently down her body, stopping to caress here and stroke there and soon his mouth followed. The textures of her skin made him sigh with delight; his tongue swept along her neck, teasing along the vein that throbbed with her desire for him. 

She drew in her breath excitedly as she felt his mouth on her neck and almost sighed in frustration as his lips then journeyed farther down the lush expanse to her breast; paying silent homage at the beauty of her body. He worshiped the planes of her belly, tickling lightly with first with fingertips and then his tongue. Finally he was at the apex of her desire and cautious fingers slipped inside the dewy folds and stroked her tenderly.

Audrey almost came off the bed when his fingers touched her; they dipped into the warmth and slipped over the aroused nub of desire and she started to fall over the edge, calling his name out over and over.

“Now Jasper, please, now,” she told him, and he traveled back up her body and seated himself between her silken thighs. She could feel his manhood probing at her and it thrilled her. She had waited a lifetime for this; she had waited a lifetime for Jasper.

“Audrey, I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you a bit, but I’ll try to be gentle, okay?” he asked as he pushed against her. 

She lifted her legs up and felt him enter her, stunned by the feel of his body in hers. They both felt it when he found the barrier hidden away and she nodded at him, encouraging him to push farther. For a moment she felt a sharp stabbing of pain and then it was gone.

Jasper was in her as far as he could go and he hesitated for a minute, giving them both a chance to get used to this. It was going to take iron control on his part to last any length of time at all he realized and then when he started moving again they were both lost to the sensation. He was loving her, trying to show her the depth of his emotion and it wasn’t enough. “Audrey, I love you, I love you…”

“Jasper, I love you too,” she whispered against his neck. She felt her body responding again, coming undone and she went with the feeling, feeling safe with him. Soon he was there as well and bit into his shoulder as the emotions rocked them both. 

Finally he moved off of her and then pulled her body over so that she was lying half on him and wrapped his arms around her, not willing to let her go.

“I thought you had to uh, bite, to, you know?” she said as she tried to catch her breath.

Jasper was shocked that she knew that. One of the female vamps most likely. He explained what Bellamy had told him and she seemed to accept it. “Next time?” she asked as she was falling asleep.

“Next time,” he murmured in reply. “Next time…”

):(

Raven came out of her building with a small overnight bag and climbed back into the Ferrari. “Ready?” Murphy asked and when she nodded, he pulled out into the street. It was 3 am and the traffic was slow but still there. This was LA and there was always traffic. It took them 20 minutes to reach the mansion and Raven leaned her head sleepily against the window, watching the lights and other cars go by.

Murphy was startled by how young she looked. Dark sooty lashes hid her eyes for the most part, sometimes resting on her pale cheeks. She was relaxed and that was a good thing. It would be the best thing for her to get her settled at the house and he had a few calls to make. While she had been upstairs he had already called Franklin and had him get a room ready for Raven; the yellow room, bright and cheerful and just the thought of Raven in that room made him smile.

Tomorrow Katrina was going to meet hell and he, John Murphy was personally going to drive her there.

):(

Clarke smiled as she sat on the edge of the freezer and looked over her shoulder at Bellamy. Suddenly she had turned around and was in his arms, only knowing that she _had_ to be there.

“Bellamy, oh Bellamy, I was so confused. I thought Elka had turned me and she wasn’t here but then I looked at you and it was you, wasn’t it? That’s what I’m feeling isn’t it?”

Bellamy held her close and said, “Yes baby, you’re feeling the sire/fledgling bond.” He was aware that she was crying and he stroked her back, telling her it was okay. “Hey, I think you need to feed. Are you ready to try?”

“I don’t have any fangs!” she exclaimed. “I think something is wrong,” she told him, crying all the harder.

“You’ll have them, I promise. Now, lay back and rest your head on my shoulder, okay?” At her nod he continued, “Now look at my arm. Do you see all the veins in it?”

Again she nodded, fascinated by the veritable highway of veins that hid below the surface of his skin. They stood out starkly against his white skin and she suddenly felt hungry and realized her fangs were descending. It didn’t hurt exactly, but it certainly felt weird. “I do have fangs,” she said proudly, running her tongue over them and realized they were razor sharp when she cut her tongue on them.

“Um hm, now, remember how I sort of run my tongue over your vein until I find one? You’ll know when you have…” he was saying as she ran her tongue over his arm and then bit him. It was a light bite, deep enough to hit the vein but not painful at all. _Of course, she took to it like a duck to water. Murphy would be proud._

“There you go baby, you have it. You’ve got great instincts.” He felt her mouth on his arm, her tongue lightly coaxing the blood from his vein without pulling too much on it. He relaxed back and took a deep breath and a startling thought occurred to him. He had never in the past experienced this – this bliss that he was feeling now. With Echo it was always a battle; the bites were usually vicious, angry, born more of necessity than love. This bite was one of love and it was a sensation he knew that he would never tire of. The more he relaxed the harder and more aroused he became until he was almost to the point of exploding all on his own. It was amazing.

He felt her pull her fangs out and then lovingly lave over the twin holes which were already healing. She placed light kisses over his arm and then shifted to lean up to kiss him. “Did I do alright?” she asked shyly.

“You did very well Clarke. It was amazing,” he said. 

She smiled delightfully, her baby fangs peeking through her lips. She looked down and saw that he was rock hard. She was ready as well, already wet and full of desire for him. She reached her hand down and stroked him a few times. “Now Mr. Blake, what are we going to do about this?”

“Why don’t we see what your instincts tell you? They did a pretty good job before!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we move forward and relationships are in the spotlight. How will things work out for our vamps?
> 
> Please let me know what you are thinking about the story, it thrills me to read your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby waits for a call from Clarke. Murphy does what he can to help Raven but is concerned for her. Jasper confronts Travis - what now? A little vamp sexy smut. Clarke doesn't like the rules, but knows that Bellamy could be right.

Dawn was breaking in the east when Abby’s eyes fluttered open. She wasn’t usually up this early, not since she had retired from the school district, but she hadn’t really rested well. That was to be expected she thought but she still felt tired. She looked over and saw that Marcus’s place was empty and she rolled over and pulled his pillow to her, inhaling his scent. His place was still warm which meant he had only been up for a few minutes. She sat up in the bed and stretched before reaching for her robe. As she slipped it on Marcus came quietly into the room and frowned as he saw her standing up with her robe on.

She looked beautiful, even though she was tired. He looked at her blossoming belly that was growing daily with the twins and knew that there had never been a luckier man on this earth. She was his world and always had been, ever since they were kids. When she was 6 and he was 8 he had told her that he was going to marry her someday and always believed it would happen. All those years when she was afraid of getting too close, he had still believed in her and the fact that they were meant to be together. He had been determined to love her and Clarke the best he could, and he did that, each and every day. He felt as much pride in Clarke as a natural father ever could. He didn’t know who that was but whoever the bastard was he hoped that he had had a miserable life. 

“Honey, what are you doing up? You should be resting.” He came to her and kissed her softly and felt her arms go around his waist. He hugged her back, loving the warm, sleepy smell she had.

“I can’t. My back is hurting, and I just need to be up.”

“Would you like some tea and toast?”

“Um, that sounds wonderful. Thank you, Marcus.” She slipped her feet into some slippers and headed into the bathroom. It felt like all she did was pee and she was only in her fifth month. She could only imagine how it would be later on. 

Marcus watched her walk slowly into the bathroom with a smile on his face. _Yep, the most beautiful girl in the world._

When she came into the kitchen a little while later, her face washed, and hair combed she felt a bit better. Marcus was just setting a pot of tea on the table and buttering the toast. “Would you like some fruit too? We’ve got melon or strawberries that I can get,” he told her as she sat down.

She shook her head no and said, “No, this will be fine. You take such good care of me Marcus. Thank you.”

He smiled as he took his seat and watched as she poured them both some tea. Marcus and Abby were both coffee fans, but it was better for her to drink herbal tea during the pregnancy so in an effort to show solidarity he drank tea as well to show her he was with her, most of the time anyway. If she suspected that he indulged in a cup or two of coffee at work, they both just ignored it.

Abby was pensive as she sipped her tea and Marcus knew what was on her mind; she wanted to talk to Clarke, and he said as much to her.

“Yes, I do. I know she’s okay, but I still really need to hear her voice, you know? This isn’t what I would have wanted for her; she’ll never have a child of her own but they love each other so much and I can’t fault that. They’ll have so many lifetimes together, time for that love to deepen and grow and I feel happy for them about that.”

Marcus listened to her words and they made him think about the discussions they had had about being turned someday. He wanted it, she was scared and wasn’t sure that she was meant for it. He knew that he would never be turned unless she agreed to it as well. He wanted it to be her decision but there was a part of him he acknowledged that hoped that this might change her mind. 

“I know they’ll call as soon as they can honey. We just have to be patient.”

She nodded and took a bite of toast. The older she got the less patience she seemed to have. Not a good thing.

):(

Jasper’s eyes popped open when the bed shifted as the two cats, Plato and Travis jumped on it, most likely wanting breakfast if their rumbling tummies were anything to go by. Both of them sat placidly at the foot of the bed, surveying Jasper and Audrey. Jasper felt a momentary rush of embarrassment as Plato looked at his mommy, naked and only partially covered up. 

Travis lifted his nose in the air, as if to scent what went on and looked pointedly from Audrey to Jasper and then back again. 

“I didn’t hurt her!” the guilty vampire said. He stared at the two small puncture marks on her neck, remembering how he had put them there.

Both of them quickly decided that since their first time went so well they were up for another tumble and it didn’t take them long to make it happen. This time it was slow and lingering lovemaking and Jasper had never felt so connected with another person in his whole life. It was nothing like his sire/fledgling connection he had shared with Bellamy; that was intense, but this blew that away. 

As the peak of love arose Jasper gently bit her, and both crashed together with the emotion and power of the bite. It was incredible, a whole new plateau of connection and pleasure that before had been unimagined. 

_Yeah, they both liked it, a lot._ So much that they had tried it again. He figured he needed to get up and make her some breakfast because she was going to need it. Good thing it was Saturday and she didn’t have to rush off to work. He’d also need to get himself something to eat as well. 

He sat up in bed trying hard not to disturb Audrey, who was still sleeping soundly. He listened to her heartbeat, but it was beating steadily and her breathing was normal. Every now and again she let out soft little sighs that made him smile.

Travis raised a paw into the air as if asking for attention. Jasper leaned forward and said, “I’ll bet you boys are hungry, huh? Probably had a big night, stalking small furry creatures in the night, didn’t you?” He watched their faces as he spoke, sure that they understood every word he said. 

Travis stepped forward, making his way up Jasper’s leg and he pulled back a bit, concerned what the cat wanted. He didn’t trust him a bit and he didn’t care if everyone thought it was all in his head; he knew that cat was a vampire now. When Travis got to Jasper’s lap, he had an instinct to cover himself in case sharp claws or fangs were preparing to attack but Travis just sat there staring at him, blinking his amber kitty eyes at him. Finally, he raised a paw at Jasper again and softly meowed.

“What?” Jasper asked softly, intrigued by this new behavior. Travis took another step forward and then rubbed his cheek against Jasper’s chest.

At the first contact Jasper almost levitated off the bed but then he caught the distinct sounds of a purr. Jasper stared at Travis and reached out and scratched him behind his ears and the purrs deepened and grew louder. Jasper smiled then and stroked down Travis’ back and watched as the cat arched his back in bliss.

“I’ll be darned. Maybe you do like me,” he said, moving his fingers to scratch under Travis’ chin. Before he knew it Plato had moved forward and demanded to be scratched as well. 

When Audrey opened her eyes, she found both cats on Jasper’s lap as he leaned back against the pillow. He was scratching both of them under the chin and they were both purring loudly.

She and Jasper and the two cats. Maybe family had just been redefined.

):(

Bellamy watched Clarke’s eyes silver over again as she stared at his body – at one particular part of his body. She licked her lips and gave a low, sexy growl as she crawled down the bed. Bellamy watched her movements, slow and sensual, almost like a jungle cat on the prowl. When she reached her destination, she turned to him and gave him a sultry grin, her fangs just peeking out between her lush lips. It was the sexiest thing Bellamy had ever seen, watching Clarke like this.

She grasped him with her hand and moved up and down his turgid length a few times, eyeing her prize speculatively. It was almost as if she had never seen him before she decided as she saw the veins standing out prominently against his velvety skin. A bead of his liquid desire leaked out and she bent forward, her tongue capturing it quickly. It didn’t taste any different than it ever had she decided and then bent to her task, swirling her tongue over the swollen tip and then smiling as it elicited a groan from him. Her mouth sank farther down, and she could feel the blood pulsing through the shaft in a way she never had before and the thought that it was his blood excited her even more. 

Her mouth worked him until he couldn’t stand it any longer and he pulled her up to him and kissed her, delving his tongue into her mouth and stroking the warm depths until they were both crazy with passion. Clarke sank down on him, sliding onto his heated length with practiced ease. The wet petals of her flower pulled him into her body, gripping him tightly. She sat up and leaned back, and he watched her firm breasts rise and fall as she drew in sharp breaths with her labor. 

She rode him wildly, aware that her senses were alive as they never had been before. Bellamy’s hands roamed over her lush body, strumming her like a fine instrument and she whimpered softly at the beauty of it. Bellamy’s hands cupped her breasts, thumbs roving over her puckered nipples and then swept down her body to the curves of her hips, guiding her thrusts as he pushed upwards to meet them.

When he couldn’t handle it any longer her pulled her down and rolled over so he could ride her for the final strokes. He tilted his head to the side so she could see the veins in his neck and she needed no further invitation; baby fangs hit their mark gently and as soon as the blood started to flow she came undone. Bellamy found the vein on her neck and bit her as well. Their arms tightened around each other and Clarke’s eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she felt her release storm through her body, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. It took a full minute to subside and they both felt how her body continued to rhythmically contracted around him. Finally, she pulled her mouth free and lapped at the blood on his neck and she shivered as he did the same thing.

She clung to him tightly still, arms and legs around him and they both caught their breath, even though neither needed to. He kissed her, every bit of love he had for her in the kiss and she understood so much now. She had tasted his love in his blood and so much more. She knew what the vampire had known all along – they were mates, for life.

):(

  
When Raven and Murphy got to his house Franklin opened the door and stood aside as they entered. Raven noted that Franklin was the epitome of an English butler, reserved and polite to the nth degree. He showed her up the stairs and down one of the halls before he stopped at the second door and opened it so that she could enter.

The room was exquisite, done all in shades of bright yellows. Creamy lemon yellow mixed with daffodil and even a light butterscotch present in the room accents. The carpet was cream and yellow with a topaz color here and there and the silk duvet and upholstery on the chaise were a delicate shade of buttercup. It was soothing and she sighed with pleasure.

“Will the room be adequate Ms. Parker?” Franklin asked as he watched the young lady look around the room.

“Adequate?” she asked with a laugh, feeling a hysterical bubble rise up in her throat. “I think that yes, it is more than adequate. Thank you very much.”

He left and Raven explored the room, stopping here and there to touch a knick-knack. There was a cream-colored mantel piece over a huge fireplace, as if anyone would need such a thing here. Over it hung a lovely painting of daffodils in a field. It was delicate and she could almost feel the movement of a soft breeze moving through it. She found a closet, an armoire that contained a television and stereo and finally the bathroom, done in the same shades of yellow with brass fixtures. Suddenly she couldn’t wait to crawl into that shower, and she grabbed her toiletries and headed in, dropping her clothes as she went.

Murphy listened outside the door, holding a small tray that contained a bottle of Macallen and a cut crystal highball glass. When he heard her enter the bathroom he waited for a moment until the shower came on and then quietly opened the door and set the tray on the table beside the bed and left the room. Out in the hall he sat down on the floor; he told himself he was being a fool, but he wanted to make sure she got to bed and to sleep okay. 

The room she was in was his mothers’ room; or rather the room he would give to her if it was possible. She had loved yellow and her sitting room in his family home had been filled with yellow furnishings. She loved the springtime when the first daffodils popped up and as a small child he could remember picking them for her and she would scatter them in vases around the room. He didn’t really remember that much of that life, but he remembered that.

He’d seen so many people die in his extended lifetime and had almost watched another dear person leave this earth tonight. All because of his stupid mistake, his incompetency and his belief in someone not worthy of that belief. 

It would never happen again.

Before too long he heard her go back into the bedroom and he closed his eyes as he leaned his head back along the wall, waiting for her to sleep.

In the room Raven pulled on a nightshirt and sat on the bed only then spotting the Macallen. She sighed, smiling as she told herself to remember to thank Franklin in the morning. She poured two fingers worth and sipped, leaning back in the bed against some pillows. She was so tired, but her mind refused to turn off. She tipped the glass back and finished the fine scotch in one drink and then grabbed the remote for the television and flipped it on, searching for something boring. When she ran across C-span she knew she had hit the jackpot. She poured one more finger of scotch and drank it down before setting the glass on the table. She found the remote timer on the tv and set it for an hour. If an hour of C-span didn’t put her to sleep nothing would. She crawled into the bed and pulled the covers up and tried to focus on the tv set but before long she was sleeping soundly.

Outside, Murphy heard her soft sighs as sleep welcomed her with open arms. Her breathing became deep and even, her heart beating steadily, and he rose to his feet, knowing she would be okay before heading down to his quarters to feed and make some calls. She was okay; he repeated it over and over until he believed it.

):(

Clarke hadn’t noticed when Bellamy had lowered the door on the freezer, but she realized that the top was really high. The door also opened like a DeLorean, rising up leaving the sides flat with the bed of the freezer. No climbing over the side; that was cool she thought.

They held one another tightly after they had made love, each of them unwilling to let the other go. Clarke snuggled against him, running her fingers lightly over his chest while he stroked her back. It was wonderful, perfect she thought.

“Clarke, we both need to go and feed in a bit but before we do, I need to talk to you about some things, okay?” His words were almost hesitant, and she sensed his discomfort over whatever he had to say.

Clarke looked up at him and smiled and moved her hand to stroke his cheek. “Okay, what do you need to tell me?” She wondered if there really was some super-secret vampire thing that she hadn’t known about and for some reason the thought thrilled her.

He kissed her forehead and cleared his throat; he felt so nervous, but he had to establish their sire/fledgling relationship and he knew that she wouldn’t necessarily like it. Clarke was strong and very much her own person and obeying rules wasn’t really her strongest gift.

“Clarke, now that you are a vampire, you need to know some things, follow some rules even.” He watched as her eyes narrowed as he spoke. She was listening, but the chances of pissing her off were good. “As your sire, you will need to listen to me and do what I tell you to do, without question which will be hard sometimes I know.” 

She started to open her mouth to protest he knew, and he laid a finger gently over her lips and continued. “It’s for your safety baby, things are different now and I have to know that you will do as you’re asked without 20 questions, okay? There could be times Clarke when your life or mine could depend on it.”

“O-kay; I’m listening,” she said, and he could tell that it irritated her to speak the words.

“You’re stronger now, faster, you are going to be more in tune with your senses, but it takes a bit of getting used to. Things are going to seem louder, brighter and more in focus for you. Your skin is going to be very sensitive, not only to sunlight but to any bright light for awhile. People will seem like they are yelling when they aren’t, their heartbeats, the sound of their blood rushing though their veins will be enthralling to you. That’s why we’re here, so you can get used to everything gradually.”

The thought occurred to her to wonder where they were. She had assumed at the loft, but she hadn’t been out of the freezer, so she didn’t know. “So just where are we?”

“In Seattle, at our house. It’s secluded, quiet and exactly what you will need for a bit. Your body will move differently now Clarke; more gracefully but usually before that happens it takes some control because your movements will almost seem exaggerated until you are fully in control. It takes some practice baby.”

She loved how he moved; it was beautiful to watch, an economy of motion that was more than sexy – it was sensual and dangerous. Maybe even predatory she suddenly realized. Ooh, she thought, I’m going to move like that too and so fast to boot!

“You’re afraid if I were home, I’d want to see everyone, and I could be a threat to them huh?” she said and watched as he nodded.

“You wouldn’t be able to control yourself for awhile baby. If you went after someone you love you’d never forget it or forgive yourself Clarke.”

She nodded solemnly and said, “That’s why vampires usually walk away from their families isn’t it?”

“How do you explain yourself if you don’t? You don’t eat food anymore and it’s hard to trust yourself around them. Vampires are dangerous, you know that Clarke. The fact that you will still see your family and friends will be very unusual and its – well it is complicated for some of them.”

She suddenly thought of Wells and Harper and Ben; she couldn’t imagine what to say. “I’m going to have to quit work, I know.”

“Yes, and you should probably call him today Clarke; just get it over with. And what do you want to do about Harper, Monty and Wells? You can’t just walk away from them when you are still around Raven and your folks and others.”

“I don’t know Bellamy. You know, I believe Wells already knows about you. I think so anyway.”

Bellamy looked down at her, a small frown on his face. He had suspected that as well but he wondered if Clarke knew something else and so he asked her.

“No, it’s just a gut feeling I have. I think he’s tried to protect you Bellamy; look at the lineup thing. He and I have never talked about it, but I’m pretty sure. But Harper? It breaks my heart because I don’t know what to do about her. I can’t walk away from her Bellamy; she’s like a sister, just like Raven but I have no idea if she could handle it.”

“Well just play it by ear with her, okay? For a little bit and see what we need to do. Now, it’s time to go down and feed; you have to be getting hungry and I know I am. I have some really dark sunglasses in the bedroom for you to put on, they sort of wrap around and trust me, you will need them. I think I heard Tim bring our bags in earlier so I’ll go down and grab them and bring them back up and then we can take a cool shower and get dressed, okay?”

“Okay, sounds good.” She watched him press a button and the lid lifted with a hushed ‘swoosh’ sound. “That is so cool!” she laughed.

“Um hm, nothing but the best from Murphy. Seriously though, I gotta get us one of these for the loft.” The both stepped out into the room and Clarke stretched, feeling marvelous.

Bellamy left the room and came back in carrying the sunglasses. She took them and commented, “Really, I don’t need them Bellamy.”

“Clarke, its pitch black in this room. No lights are on.”

Her mouth formed an ‘O’ and she shrugged. “So, better vision huh?”

He nodded and pulled on his jeans in order to head downstairs. Clarke wandered into the bedroom and she was glad she had the shades on but even with them the room was very bright. She wandered into the hall to the top of the stairs and looked down into the hallway. Suddenly an impulse took over and she couldn’t control it. She jumped from the top of the stairs to the bottom, landing on the runner at the bottom. She slid 5 feet and then fell on her behind, laughing like a kid. 

Bellamy was not amused. He dropped the bags he had in his hand and yelled, “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?” and watched as she paled and put her hands over her ears from the pain of the volume of the words. He rushed to her saying “I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean to yell.”

She looked up at him, wincing because her ears were still ringing. They felt almost numb from the pain and then tears started flowing down her face and she jumped into his arms scared to death. 

Bellamy sank to the floor and held her, cuddling her and trying to wipe away the tears that streaked down her beautiful face. “Clarke, you could have hurt yourself. You aren’t ready to do those kinds of things.”

“I can’t die; it was just a jump B- Bellamy,” she said with a hiccup. 

“You could have broken your leg or something Clarke,” he said, an exasperated tone to his voice.

“Well, it’ll heal you know!” she told him defiantly.

“It will still hurt like hell while it heals Clarke. Please don’t do things like that again without asking. I’ll teach you to jump and stuff, I promise. We have other things to work on first.”

She nodded and snuffled loudly. She guessed even vampires needed tissues sometimes. She stood up and headed back to the stairs to find a tissue upstairs. As she got to the bottom step, she heard Bellamy say, “One at a time Clarke.” 

):(

The ride out the beach house was pretty quiet for Raven and Murphy, but it wasn’t really uncomfortable which gave Raven pause to think about him, about what they were embroiled in together. Keeping the secret; Clarke had told her that it was the number one priority. How could she tell this secret to anyone? Especially now that she was complicit in all of it and more importantly, it would mean the death of her best friend, and others too she guessed. Surprisingly, she didn’t want that for any of these people.

She was a realist – she knew that there were vampires out that that were evil, horrible creatures and she’d met them up close and personal. But then there were people like Bellamy and Cami and Roan who were anything but evil. She cast a sideways glance at Murphy, trying to debate which side he was on. A couple of months ago she would have put him in the former category, but now? 

_Now?_

He wasn’t evil and she knew it. But that didn’t make him okay either. Not quite. Sure, he was thoughtful and helpful in a crisis, that much was true but he could order someone’s death without blinking. 

So what her head screamed – you killed someone. What does that make you?

Murphy saw Raven squirming in her seat and wondered what was going on. There was too much wind to catch her scent since the top was down on the Ferrari, but she was sure mulling over something and judging by the look on her face it wasn’t good. He tried to keep an eye on her as he dealt with all the traffic on a Saturday afternoon; people were heading to the various beaches in droves and were anxious to get there. Far be it from him to get in their way he decided as he watched a small convertible fly past, surfboards fastened to the back of the car. He had often thought that surfing looked exciting; maybe someday he’d learn. He wondered if Raven surfed. 

Soon he was turning off onto the side road that led to the beach house. When he pulled the car to a stop, she was very quiet and her heart was pounding in her chest. He watched as she gulped in several deep breaths and noticed that she was clenching her hands tightly together.

“Raven, you don’t have to do this today, okay? We can come back another time or I can send someone out to get your car for you.”

She licked her lips for a moment and then shook her head. He knew that she would do it now, to prove something to herself, if not him. He admired her for that, but she was so busy showing that she was strong and okay that it tore his heart out. 

“No, I’m fine, I can do this,” she told him, opening her door and stepping out of the car. She walked around the side of the house and stood looking at the beach for a moment, her eyes sweeping the beach as if looking for traces of what had happened the night before. Finally, she nodded and punched in a manual code to open the garage door. She turned and looked at Murphy and said, “Oh, I didn’t get a chance to thank Franklin for the scotch last night. I really appreciated it.”

He nodded, dipping his face a bit so that she couldn’t read it. He knew it was best if that was what she thought but a part of him wanted her to know the truth. Instead he said, “I’ll be sure and do that. Be careful going home, the traffic was crazy out there.” He hopped back into the Ferrari and started the engine, listening to the smooth purr with satisfaction. He watched her get into the Maserati and start the engine. She backed out next to him and pushed a button, closing the garage door and then gave him a brief wave and headed off, back to LA and back to where life was so much more complicated than it had been yesterday at this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those that have taken the time to bookmark and give kudo's for this story. I hope everyone is enjoying it. I'd love to read what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy suffers from the guilt of Clarke's turning. It takes stern words from her to make him stop. Clarke talks to her mom and lets Abby know that she is okay and more importantly, happy. Bellamy is the focus of Clarkes attention and while its very compelling, it's also disconcerting.

Bellamy and Clarke took a cool shower and she reveled in it. “I can’t believe this could feel so good,” she whispered against his chest, her tongue tracing little circles around his nipple. Her soapy hand crept down his belly to stroke him lazily and she giggled when she felt him stirring in her hand. “How about it Bellamy?” she teased.

The feel of her hand and mouth on him was driving him crazy but they both needed to feed and so he took a step backwards and turned her away from him, urging her to rinse off. She cast a look over her shoulder, her bottom lip pouting and he caught a hint of those baby fangs again and was almost lost to the temptation. They were a siren song for him; one he would never have believed. 

It had never been like this with Echo; when the fangs came out with her it was predatory and not in a good way. He had never seen the beauty of her vamped out, all he saw was the monster. It didn’t mean that it wasn’t sexual because it certainly could be but he understood now that it wasn’t love – it was never love. But he also remembered the pull of his sire and knew that Clarke felt the same thing and he was determined to do the very best he could with her so that she would never feel the heartache and anguish he had felt with his turning. 

“No Clarke, we both need to feed. There will be plenty of time later. Now come on, let’s get out of here and get dressed so we can both feed.”

“Um, do you feel a bit weak-kneed right now? I’m trembling all through my body,” she said, demurely, batting her eyes. Her mouth found his wrist and he felt her fangs pressed against his skin in the most enticing way. His belly tightened with the most delicious sensations and he wanted nothing more than to give into them.

“Yes, that’s because we need to feed,” he stated again, stepping out of the shower. Some of the soap hadn’t been rinsed off but if he didn’t get out now, he might not at all. God, she made every nerve in his body come alive with need, with throbbing desire; he had no resistance against her. Every move, every look she shared compelled him to made love to her. He pulled a towel off the rack and quickly wrapped it around his waist and then handed her another one.

Clarke’s eyes sparked a bluish silver for a moment; she knew exactly what was going on. Her new sense of smell told her he wanted her, badly. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, but she decided she had to pick her battles. She stepped out of the shower and slowly wrapped the towel around her, detesting the rough texture against her sensitive skin. She stepped in front of him, only a fraction of an inch separated them, and she murmured seductively against his lips, “Whatever you want Bellamy.”

He snapped his eyes closed quickly and turned around, trying to stifle the groan that threatened to escape. He headed for the door that led into the bedroom, unable to stay in that small space with her for another minute. When she finished carefully drying off she found him already dressed and getting ready to head downstairs. 

“That towel was rough Bellamy. I thought Egyptian cotton was so soft; I don’t remember them being that coarse before.”

“Clarke, your skin is really sensitive right now. Remember, every sense you have is heightened; light will not only hurt your eyes, it will hurt your skin. Sound, smell, everything is going to take some getting used to for you.”

She nodded, remembering how it had literally hurt her ears when he had yelled earlier. She looked at the clothes that were in the bag because they hadn’t taken the time to unpack them yet, a puzzled frown on her face. “What should I wear? Do I have to wear anything?”

“Yes, you have to get used to the feel of the fabric against your skin. It won’t take too long and you’ll be used to it baby, I promise you. Why don’t you wear these soft cotton pants and a tee shirt? Those shouldn’t be too bad.”

She nodded glumly and pulled on the pair of cotton lounging pants. They didn’t feel too bad she decided; they were loose and hopefully wouldn’t get too scratchy; the same for the tee shirt. She decided to forgo the bra and looked at herself in the mirror, noting the way her nipples poked against the thin fabric. She turned away from the mirror with a smile because she knew that Bellamy would notice too. She remembered to grab the wraparound sunglasses on the way out and headed down the stairs, tempted to ride the banister down but she figured that would really hurt.

Downstairs Bellamy had poured two glasses of blood for them, choosing the O+ because most vamps thought it seemed to have a milder flavor. He glanced up at her as she entered the room and a slow smile tugged the corners of his mouth upwards. She looked so cute, blonde hair trailing down her back, sunglasses in place and …and nipples playing peek-a-boo through the tee shirt. He quickly snapped his eyes shut again and turned around to place the bottle of blood back into the fridge.

“Okay Clarke, here we go.” He held out the chair for her and she smiled; it could have been a 5-star restaurant he was acting so formally. She smiled at him and sat down, staring at the glass of blood sitting in front of her.

She lifted her head and scented it; it smelled like blood, and yet somehow different. It was much more fragrant than ordinary blood with hints of things she didn’t know how to identify. She picked up the glass and realized she was hungry, thirsty – whatever and took a sip, letting the cool liquid flow over her tongue. It was delicious and she couldn’t believe she thought so. After all, it _was_ blood. But she _was_ a vampire!

Bellamy explained about this particular blood and told her about some of the different things that could flavor it. This came from Murphy’s girls and they were in top health. He didn’t tell her that morgue blood would taste a good deal different. In time, he’d have to tell her, but not today.

Bellamy brought her phone to her and she looked at the missed calls; Robbi had called 4 times, Bellamy 3 times she noticed and asked him about that.

“When you were at the beach and we found out that Kelly was following you – I tried to call, you and Raven and Elka.”

“What did happen on the beach Bellamy? I-I don’t remember much.”

He explained all that he had seen but admitted that he didn’t know all of it. “Raven could tell you. We’ll need to call her and Murphy, but before that your Mom and Ben. Has to be done Clarke,” he said as he saw understanding creep over her face. She took her last swallow of the blood and set the glass down and stared at it for a moment.

“You want more?” Bellamy asked, realizing she might still be hungry.

“Yes, please.” She called Ben on his cell, waiting for him to answer as she watched Bellamy fill both glasses again. He sat it in front of her and heard Ben answer on the other end.

“Ben? Hi, it’s Clarke,” she told him, waiting as he greeted her and asked, what was up.

She steeled herself for what she was getting ready to do but pushed ahead with it. “Ben, you know that Bellamy and I have been trying to have a baby and things, well, things have been pretty stressful and it’s hard. I- we are in Seattle, and I have to quit my job Ben, effectively immediately.”

Bellamy heard Ben’s confusion and protests on the other end of the phone, offering her a week or two to just relax. She closed her eyes as she listened, and Bellamy knew how much she hated to give the job up because she loved it.

“I’m afraid we’re going to be here much longer than that Ben. I don’t know exactly how long but maybe a month or more. Please try to understand Ben, while I love that job, I have to do what’s best for me, for Bellamy.”

“Has he made you do this Clarke? You don’t have to do it.”

The accusatory words stung Bellamy who felt appalled that anyone would think that he could force her to do something she didn’t want to do. He blanched and quickly turned his head away from her, hoping that she didn’t see the pain on his face.

“No Ben, he didn’t. Please Ben, I’ve never been happier, and Bellamy and I just need this time together and it’s not fair to you to keep that job hanging.”

After that there was very little to be said between them and Clarke pushed the end key with a heavy sigh. “Could have been worse I guess,” she offered, sure that he had heard Ben’s remarks.

Bellamy nodded and picked up their empty glasses, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. She stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist, not in a sexual gesture but rather one of comfort. He placed his hands over her and squeezed them lightly, staring out the window.

“Are you okay Bellamy?”

Was he okay? Hell, he didn’t even know. He had brought her into his world and now hers was caving in around her. It was all his fault; if he had only stayed out of her life, she’d still be alive. And he’d still be…alone.

He could handle that, he could.

But his heart knew better even if his head refused to accept it; they were mates and they needed each other like earth needed water. His eyes squeezed tightly shut and he pinched his nose for a moment to clear away the anxiety that he was feeling. Finally, he turned around in her arms and kissed her, drinking in her love.

“I am happy Bellamy; I meant what I said to Ben. This is the life I was meant to live, with you like this.”

“But you had to sacrifice your job, your hopes to have kids Clarke. All because of me.”

Suddenly her eyes flashed silver, icy blue silver and she shrugged out of the embrace and pushed away from his hard chest and huffed a deep breath. “Don’t you ever, ever, say something like that to me again Bellamy. I mean it. I am here, where I want to be and you know what? I do not hate it at all. If you want to live your life in guilt and misery, thinking of yourself as some kind of monster, I can’t stop you but I’m not going to do that because I’m not one damn bit sorry and I am NOT a monster! Neither are you but I don’t suppose I can convince you of that. You’ve been rolling in that for so long it has seeped into your soul.” 

They stared at one another silently for a moment, Clarke worrying her lower lip with her teeth and Bellamy staring at the floor silently. Clarke went to the cabinet that held the coffee and pulled it out, preparing to make some. Maybe it was partly habit and maybe it was just something to do, she didn’t know but she knew that right now she needed a damn cup of the magic brew.

“Clarke, you can’t drink that. You won’t be able to taste it.” Bellamy watched her as she went about placing a filter into the coffee maker and measured out the coffee grounds before filling it with water and pushing the button to start the brew.

“You know what Bellamy? I CAN drink it and maybe I won’t be able to taste it but Cami drinks coffee everyday and it doesn’t hurt her. Jasper eats popsicles and you drink wine or scotch. Nothing happens…what goes in comes out.” She stared at him defiantly, daring him to contradict what she had said.

The problem was, she looked so damn cute that Bellamy had to fight to keep from chuckling. Her arms were folded over her chest and one small foot was tapping the floor in a rapid staccato. He finally held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, knowing that she had won the battle.

But the rest of it? Well, they were going to have to work on that. They both had some valid points, okay, she had more he admitted. He was quiet for a moment, taking in the aroma of the coffee as it brewed and he watched her pull a mug out of the cupboard and set in on the counter.

“Clarke?” he asked, watching her back stiffen. “Clarke? Can you please teach me how to see myself the way you do?” It was such a simple request and it broke her heart. 

Suddenly she was in his arms, holding him tightly and crying against his chest. “You are my hero Bellamy, the man I waited my whole life for. When you look at me that is what you see shining in my eyes and I’ll work forever to teach you that.”

He couldn’t speak, only hold her close and whisper words of gratitude and love against her soft hair, knowing that she could easily hear them. 

“I love you Bellamy; I love you forever.” She smiled at him as he brushed the tears away from her face with tender fingers. The salt in them was a curious scent she realized and she smiled; she had so much to learn.

She pulled away when the coffee maker stopped gurgling and grinned impishly. “You want a cup?” she teased, pointing at the mug.

He laughed for a moment and shook his head. “But you’d better put an ice cube in it or something – it will feel much hotter to your vamp senses.”

She thought about that for a minute and decided to call her mom while she waited for it to cool a bit. She sat down at the table again and watched and sniffed appreciatively when Bellamy sat the mug in front of her. She inhaled the heavenly scent and pushed the button that would connect her with her mom.

“Clarkey!” Abby exclaimed when she answered. “Oh baby, are you okay?”

Clarke laughed and said, “Yes, I’m great Mom! It is incredible.”

If Abby was surprised by the enthusiasm in her daughter’s voice, she hid it well. “Honey, I’m going to put you on the speaker so that Marcus can hear too, okay?”

“That’s great. Hi Dad,” she said and listened as he returned her greeting.

“Clarke, honey it’s so good to hear your voice! Is Bellamy there too?”

“Yes, he can hear.” She reached across the table and laid her hand on his, squeezing it lightly. “I’m happy and feeling great, so you guys don’t need to worry, okay?”

“Clarke, we’re your parents and I’m sorry, it’s in the job description!” Abby smiled broadly, realizing that Clarke really was okay.

“Mom, how are you? How are the babies? I know it had to be a terrible shock for you. You haven’t had any problems have you?”

“No, other than not getting much sleep, which is to be expected I guess. I’ll sleep like a log tonight I’m sure. You, um, everything is okay? No ill effects or anything?” Abby held her breath as she spoke the words, so afraid that something could be wrong.

“Nope, but I don’t know how my husband is going to survive this. I already scared him by jumping down the flight of stairs, but for heaven’s sake, vampires can do that! I thought about sliding down the banister on my way down here a little bit ago but decided that it might hurt; my skin is really sensitive right now. Everything is sensitive!” she declared. She took a cautious sip of her coffee and smiled and the warm brew hit her tongue.

“I remember after Jasper came home, how he was more sensitive to everything too. But it got better.” Marcus said, remembering the first time he saw Jasper after his turning.

“May I just say that siring Jasper was probably a piece of cake compared to Clarke? She is going to question everything and Abby, I blame that all on you!” Bellamy teased and heard her laugh over the phone line.

“Well, she wouldn’t be my daughter if she didn’t Bellamy. I guess it was quite a night, huh? Murphy, Raven, Jasper and Audrey came over to tell us and it was a shock to everyone it seemed. Clarke, if you haven’t talked to Raven yet please do it as soon as you can. Honey, she is having a really hard time with it all.” Abby didn’t tell her any more about Raven; she knew that the young woman would need to share it on her own.

Clarke took another drink of the coffee as she listened to her mother’s words. It was a very sobering thing for Clarke to hear; she hadn’t taken into consideration her how her best friend would handle it all. She hated vamps, for the most part. Clarke wondered if she would lose Raven’s friendship because of this. The thought saddened her a great deal.

They chatted for a few more minutes and Bellamy noticed that Clarke was growing tired. She didn’t yet understand that fledglings usually rested a lot, as well as feed and the other things that tempted him so. He couldn’t complain really but they did have other things to learn as well

“Bellamy, you take care of her for me. I know you will,” Abby said, trying to choke back tears.

“Always Abby. With my own life I’ll protect her.”

“I know, I know you will Bellamy. I love you both!”

“Love you both too,” Clarke said, tears sparkling in her own blue eyes. She pressed the end key and sat back in her chair, feeling weary. “I think I need a nap.” She sat the coffee cup down after she took the last drink and added, “By the way, I CAN taste it Bellamy.”

He looked at her askance, shaking his head slightly. No use arguing with her, so he said, “You’ll probably take a lot of naps for a few days Clarke. Your body is still getting used to the virus that is in your system now. In many ways you’ll be like a baby, resting, feeding and such.”

“Come up with me?” she asked softly.

“Baby, we both know that you wouldn’t get any rest if I did. I’m going to check in with Tim and check for messages from the office and stuff. You’ll rest for a few hours and then when you wake up later we’ll see what you feel like.”

She laughed and it was a very wicked laugh. “Mr. Blake, I can tell you exactly what I’ll be wanting.”

“Yeah, yeah, go on now. He lightly smacked her on her bottom as she walked out of the kitchen. She turned around and stuck out her tongue at him and he grinned like a kid. _Did she have to be so damn hot AND tempting?_

A half an hour later he had checked the messages from the office and got it all squared away; he had turned several pending cases over to Robert Parker, a friend of his that he worked with occasionally. That should keep clients happy and keep him from worrying. About that anyway.

Like Clarke, Bellamy didn’t know exactly what had happened out there on the beach. He saw Kelly come up over the rocks and the only thing he paid attention to was Clarke, getting to her. He remembered seeing shoes sticking out of the fire so he assumed that was Kelly but what the hell did happen? He hoped that Murphy had some answers.

Clearly Clarke didn’t blame him, but it was obvious where the blame lay; with him. He didn’t protect her, he wasn’t there and she had paid the ultimate price as she walked the path of a vampire now. She thought it was all great but as time went on, she would see that this wasn’t really life, despite what Murphy thought. He felt so alone right now and helpless.

A quiet knock on the front door startled him out of his reverie and as he headed into the foyer he caught Tim’s scent and saw the imposing shadow of the 6’6” man on the other side of the door. He opened it with a smile, glad for the company.

“Tim, come on in. Is Mary with you?” he asked as Tim stepped through the doorway, ducking his head slightly. His head didn’t hit the top here but it was a precaution he performed and had all his life. It had been his experience that most doorways didn’t accommodate his great height.

“No, she’s meeting with the gabby girls; probably plotting something.”

Bellamy grinned at Tim’s description of the ladies’ tribal group that met regularly. They supported the orphanage on the reservation by sewing clothes and having bake sales and anything else that would bring in a bit of money for the impoverished tribe. 

“Clarke is resting, I think,” he said with a frown towards the stairs. “She should be anyway. Can I get you something to drink? Clarke made some coffee a bit ago and then informed me that she could taste it.” He gave a wry laugh as Tim sat down at the table in the kitchen.

“No kidding? Well, in her mind she probably thinks she does Bellamy; it’s likely a coping mechanism for her,” the wise Cheyenne man stated.

“She’s not struggling or unhappy. You’d think she’d been given the biggest and best Christmas gift ever.”

“Is that a bad thing Bellamy? That she would be happy about it?” Tim watched Bellamy’s face closely as he thought about his answer.

“I don’t know how she couldn’t be unhappy about it. Her humanity was stripped from her and now this is all she has left!”

“And you think all this,” he swept his arm across the room but he meant more than that, “Is so little that she should be unhappy? She made the choice Bellamy; this wasn’t your turning. It is very possible that she is happy and excited to experience this with you. She is with you, her mate and her inner vamp obviously recognizes that.”

Bellamy listened to the words, wanting desperately to believe but try as hard as he might he couldn’t. He couldn’t let go of his own pain and anger at his turning, of all the years afterwards feeling so alone and lonely.

“Bellamy, you’re not alone anymore _nae’ha_.”

2010

Tim sat at the fire, watching the solitary man walking towards him in the chilly night. His footsteps made a soft crunching sound as he stepped on the fallen pine needles, the loud sound a sure sign of a _tsêhésevé'ho'e_ , a white man who did not walk gently upon the earth.

Bellamy stood opposite Tim who was sitting on the ground wearing a pair of leather buckskin pants and no shirt. He had a feather in his hair, and he had been chanting some unknown song until Bellamy came upon him.

Bellamy had been in the lodge for a week now and kept to himself. A loner apparently but there was more to it than that. Bellamy had a hurt that he was carrying around and that never did a man any good. 

Tim, _Aenohe Nestoohe_ , (Howling Hawk) had been a shaman in his tribe, a position of great respect. A healer, a wise man, a trusted leader among his people and he read the young man easily. The pain of his past wore on him like an angry beast and insinuated itself into his life. This young man had cut himself off from friends, from his own life. It was sad to see in him and Tim believed he needed a great deal of healing. Bellamy watched as he took a pouch that hung around his neck and opened it, pulling out several large pieces of a dried plant and started chanting and then throwing the pieces into the fire.

A curious smell hit Bellamy; it sort of smelled like Thanksgiving and he shook his head as a memory of his childhood scrolled through his head. Finally he asked, “What is that?”

“It is sage, it pleases the Gods; _heškevóho_ _hetaa'óma'o'e_ , (our mother who walks the earth) and _Ma’heo’o Tsehehe’tovatsemenoto tsehestoestoveto he’amo’omee’e_ , (God the one who is our father who is in heaven).

He started chanting again and Bellamy sank to the ground, settling down as he watched and listened. The song was rhythmic and almost hypnotic and he leaned in a bit closer to the fire, inhaling the pungent scent of the burning sage. 

Tim’s chanting continued and he raised his arms to the sky, speaking words that Bellamy couldn’t understand. A prayer perhaps, Bellamy couldn’t tell but as Tim continued his chant Bellamy felt pulled into it all, a part of the song, the fire, the night. He closed his eyes and felt himself swaying in time to the chant and picked it up, humming softly with it. Bellamy’s eyes opened momentarily, and he saw that Tim danced, danced for himself, for Bellamy, for the Gods in hopes that they would aid this young man. Or maybe for some other reason but Bellamy felt a part of it, understanding without knowing. He thought he heard a drum, beating in time with some earthly heartbeat and he laid his hand flat on the ground to feel the beat. The intensity of the music, the drumming and chanting pulled him in and sightless eyes stared at all around him, connected in a way he didn’t understand.

_You are not alone.  
Your path is shared with another.  
Open your heart  
You are not alone._

They words were spoken quietly in a voice that was not Tim’s. They seemed to come from inside him and he strained to hear more. Finally his eyes snapped open and as he looked across the fire he saw Tim sitting before it, his legs crossed and watching him calmly. Bellamy struggled to his feet and swayed a bit unsteadily. He heard an owl hoot, the sound tearing through the night eerily and looked around him before taking a step back.

“Are you alright Bellamy?” Tim asked, watching the young man with concern.

“Yes, yes. I think I’ll head home Tim.” He turned abruptly and let his long stride carry him swiftly away from the fire and from the experience that he must surely have imagined.

As he made his way quickly back to the lodge he again heard the words:

_You are not alone._

He looked around him but the whisper had definitely come from within. Was the voice right? It was something to contemplate.

“Bellamy, you’re not alone anymore _nae’ha_.”

Bellamy looked into his friends’ eyes and nodded his head, accepting the words without question. Life had changed and his place was to accept it. Was he up to the task?

Time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the comments and kudo's everyone. It helps keep me motivated! Love you all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is curious about Clarke quitting her job and talks to Wells. Raven and Murphy are together when Clarke calls and Murphy's teasing brings an over-emotional Clarke to tears. Murphy will be bringing in an old friend, Lord Tanglewood, AKA Tango to take control of the Cleaners.

After Clarke’s phone call Ben tried to make sense of it all. It was just so – just so sudden and unexpected. She sounded fine, better than fine in fact. She sounded happy and if that was the case he was happy for her but something just didn’t feel _right_ about it. He picked up his phone and called Wells, hoping for some understanding of the situation because Wells seemed to know both Clarke and Bellamy pretty well.

When his phone rang Wells picked it up and saw that it was Ben calling, which meant that they must have a case. He clicked the remote to turn the Padres game off, cursing as he answered.

“Hey Wells, I’m glad I caught you,” Ben said quickly. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything major today.”

“No, just the Padres game,” he said with a groan. He was a San Diego boy born and bred and even though he lived in LA he still rooted for the home team. 

“Um, sorry about that. I won’t keep you long but something happened and I wanted to get your input.”

“So this isn’t a case?” Wells questioned hopefully. 

“No, uh, definitely not.” Ben sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh. “Clarke called me a little while ago and quit her job. No notice, just said she wouldn’t be back.”

Wells let out a low whistle and frowned as he listened. Clarke could be impetuous and impulsive but there was always a reason for it. “Did she say why?”

“Said that she and Bellamy wanted to concentrate on having a family; that all the stress of life lately has made it difficult and so she is eliminating some of the stress.”

“Things been that hectic?” 

“No, not really. This makes no sense to me at all. I don’t know if I’ve pissed her off or something, not a clue.”

Wells chuckled and said, “Trust me, if you had pissed her off, you’d know about it; Clarke is pretty vocal about things like that!”

“How the hell would you know? You don’t work with her all that much.”

“Work with her? Well no, but back in college Clarke and I were together for a while. I know her pretty well.”

The words shocked Ben; why he wasn’t sure. There had always been something in Clarke and Wells relationship that ran deeper than a surface look would warrant but they had been together? As in ‘together’? Ben couldn’t help but wonder what Bellamy thought about that.

At the continued silence on the other end of the phone Wells waited patiently. Yes, it boggled even his mind sometimes, he and Clarke. The memories were good but sad at the same time; saying goodbye to a relationship is hard enough but Clarke was special. He knew that she loved Bellamy with all her heart and that helped things a lot. He didn’t have any regrets, not really. They weren’t made for one another and they both had accepted that but there was always going to be a thread connecting them and he’d probably worry about her until – well forever. He knew for a fact that Bellamy had the capabilities to keep her safe and that couldn’t have made Wells happier, but it also begged the question – did that have anything to do with what was going on?

Ben finally found his voice again and said, “I just hope that Blake isn’t making her do this.”

“I can guarantee that he isn’t Ben. No one is going to make Clarke do anything she doesn’t want to, believe me. Now, does she just want to be with him? Maybe. I’ll go and see her,” he promised.

“Well, you’d better call the airlines because they are in Seattle, not LA. Part of their ‘getaway’ apparently.”

Wells’ eyebrows raised a fraction as he heard that information. “Well, maybe I won’t then but I’ll give her a call and sound her out. How’s that?”

“Sounds good Wells. Let me know if you think anything is going on that I should be worried about.” 

They ended the call and Wells sat and stared aimlessly out the window for a few minutes. Bellamy would never hurt her – but what would he do to protect her? That was the question on Wells mind as he dialed Clarke’s number. When it went to voice mail he left a message and hoped that she’d call him back soon.

):(

After heading back to the city from Raven’s beach house Murphy headed for the office to make a few calls. It was Saturday and only a couple of guards were there; the markets were closed so the office was blessedly silent. He went to the fridge and poured a glass of some B- and sipped it cautiously. It was two days old and that definitely wasn’t his beverage of choice but he drank it anyway because he needed to be able to focus.

He had messages from Colleen and Ryan both, telling him that Leo was now out of the picture, permanently and he nodded in satisfaction. Bringing Colleen on board had been a great idea, a bit of serendipitous luck you might say. She had a long and promising career ahead at her with Murphy Industries because Murphy valued loyalty above all and that girl had plenty of it.

He next placed a call to Miguel Estrella, one he wasn’t really looking forward to making but one that couldn’t be avoided. He leaned back and rested his Ferragamo loafers on the desk top, ignoring the possibility of scuff marks on the smooth teak surface. He punched in the number and waited impatiently for the call to be answered.

Miguel picked up on the third ring after noting who the call was from. “Murphy. This is unexpected. Do we have a problem?” Miguel knew that Murphy didn’t ever call to chit chat so something was definitely up.

“Yes, we do.” Murphy explained what had happened and Miguel listened silently, only asking questions when Murphy was done speaking.

“So it’s time to take out Katrina, yes?”

“Yes, she disobeyed a direct order and understand this, the bitch is mine Miguel.”

‘Um hm, um hm, I get that. Would expect it in fact. We have an image to maintain. The board will support you on that, 100% Murphy.”

“Yes, I know they will. Tonight, 10 pm at the cleaner’s headquarters. Can you be there?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world my friend.”

“Come armed Miguel; she’ll fight hard I anticipate. I’ll have a couple of people with me as well.”

“The young woman who provided you with the information?”

“No, I want her to stay out of it. The cleaners here have coalesced into a vipers pit under Katrina’s guidance and that ends tonight. I want Colleen’s name to stay clean.”

“Is she interested in the soon to be vacant position?” Miguel thought she sounded like a good choice.

“No, she doesn’t want anything to do with it at all. She’ll be working for me tomorrow. But I have another suggestion. We need someone with no ties to the LA crew, or to cleaners as all. I’d like to recommend Tango Smythe; he’s strong and has excellent leadership skills. And he will be 100% loyal to us Miguel.”

“And you know this how?”

“Let’s just say that Tango and I have a long history together; his loyalty is beyond reproach. How about if I get him here and you can form your own opinions?”

“Alright Murphy, I’ll agree to that. He sounds intriguing.”

“Good to hear. I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’ll be there, with a little protection of my own.”

Murphy listened to the line click off and smiled. 

_Who said the Legion and vampires couldn’t get along?_

After taking care of a few emails Murphy finally put in a call to Tango. No telling where in the world he was so any time was as good as another to call. He again waited for the call to be answered, this time a bit more impatiently.

“Hullo,” a lazy voice on the other end of the call drawled.

“Tango, how the hell are you? Where the hell are you?” Murphy asked with a laugh.

“Murphy! I’ll be damned, I was just thinking about you a couple of days ago. What’s up?”

“Tango, I need you here, for a while anyway. I have a situation that needs your finesse.” He explained all that had happened and what he wanted Tango to do.

“You want me to be a cleaner? Are you daft man? I’ve never done anything like that!”

“No, that’s true enough but you can lead people Tango and you have a firm hand and that is what’s called for here. And you’re such a charming son of a bitch that no one ever even realizes that they are being ‘handled’. Come on Tango, I really need you here.”

“Bloody hell Murphy, you know how I feel about the colonies; I’m a sore loser, remember?” he chuckled.

Murphy laughed, knowing how true that was. Tango was definitely on the other side of things. “Yes, well this will broaden your horizons, maybe change your mind even. They’re not so bad here you know! Besides, I remember how much you like Hawaii!”

“Yes, well they weren’t a part of the states back then either, as I’m sure you remember?” he teased, remembering an idyllic year the two of them had spent on the islands and the many native girls who had enjoyed it with them. He finally sighed in resignation and said, “Okay. I’ll be there tomorrow Murphy.”

“Glad to hear it. You might just decide you like it here you know?” Murphy gave him the information that his pilot would need to land at the small airport where Murphy’s hangar was and assured him that there was plenty of room for his jet. A few more details and they ended the call, both of them smiling.

It was a little after six when Murphy finished up at work and as he climbed back in the Ferrari, he realized he hadn’t heard from Bellamy and Clarke yet. He wondered if Raven had heard anything and decided to call her but as he stared at the phone, he thought better of it. A personal visit was just the ticket he decided devilishly and headed the car towards her condo.

As he stepped into the elevator he realized that he felt a bit nervous. It was such a foreign feeling that he didn’t recognize it at first. But yes, he was nervous alright, sweaty palms and all. When the elevator stopped on the penthouse floor he took as step out and looked around, trying to determine if he really wanted to do this. Maybe a call would be better after all. 

_Shit! Grow up Murphy!_

He rang the buzzer and waited for Raven to open the door. He heard her soft footsteps padding quietly across the floor and then heard her heartbeat speed up when she looked out and saw who rang the bell. He waited as she decided whether to answer the door or not and just when he thought she wouldn’t, she opened it wide.

“Murphy,” she said with an arched eyebrow. Chocolate brown eyes stared at him, but she made no move to stand aside so that he could enter the apartment.

“Hi, uh Raven. I was near here and was just curious if you had heard from Clarke yet? I haven’t,” he said and almost laughed at how he practically stuttered over the words.

“Really? Near here? I must say I’m amazed.” 

“I was at the office for a while and then ran a couple of errands that brought me near here,” he told her and hoped she believed him. Vampires were bad liars, no matter how old they were.

Her eyes narrowed as she listened to his words; she’d bet her next paycheck that they weren’t true but then decided to let it go. He was worried about Clarke too she knew. She sighed and said, “Do you want to come in Murphy?”

A quick, impertinent grin spread across his admittedly handsome face and she suddenly felt like slamming the door on it. She watched as he eyed her up and down briefly, taking in her tank top and low-cut flannel lounging pants. Her hackles rose as he stared boldly at her bare belly button and she wanted to tug her shirt down or her pants up but neither fabric would stretch that far. “Well?” she demanded.

“I don’t know Raven. You want to go and throw on some silver? I see you’re not wearing any.” The grin spread broader, making his cool blue eyes sparkle.

She wanted to stamp her foot in frustration; instead, she plastered a smile on her face and retorted sweetly, “Do I need any?”

“After the other night, I’d say that any vamp who is thinking about going up against you would be a fool.” As soon as he said the words he wanted to kick himself in the ass because her beautiful face crumbled for a moment and she turned around, hiding the tears that sprang to her eyes. 

The tang of the salty tears stung his nose and ripped his heart out and he stepped forward, ashamed at what he had caused with his callous remark. He placed his hands on her shoulders and attempted to turn her around to face him and she shrugged away from him, heading into another room. Murphy stood there watching as she left the room and feeling like a giant jackass. He reached behind him and softly closed the door and headed over to the bar and poured them both a finger of scotch, hoping it would help when she made a reappearance. He didn’t have long to wait and swallowed quickly as she entered the room, head held high and no sign of the tears.

“Raven, I’m so sorry. It was a stupid remark. Please forgive me?” he said, handing her the glass that had a finger of scotch in it.

She accepted it and nodded to him, not saying anything else. She took a sip, eyeing him over the rim of the glass.

He cleared his throat and wandered over to the windows, which lined one whole wall of the apartment. “Have you talked with Clarke?” he asked again.

“No, not yet,” she said, joining him by the window. “I talked to Abby earlier though and she said that Clarke sounded great; happy in fact.” She tipped up the last of the scotch and swallowed, feeling the burn as it slid down her throat. “Listen Murphy, I was just going to make a sandwich for my dinner. I – I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to offer you, other than the scotch that is,” knowing that wasn’t necessarily true, but they would never go there. 

Murphy caught the unspoken words and smiled, “I had something before I left the office actually. Please, don’t let me keep you from your dinner though. What are you making?”

“A peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich, grilled. It won’t take me long so please have a seat,” she said, indicating the living room. She headed into the kitchen and realized he was following her. She did her best to ignore him as she finished making the sandwich, which was waiting to be grilled. As it toasted, she poured a glass of milk and set it on the kitchen bar counter where Murphy had already taken a seat. She grinned as she turned back to the stove and pulled the sandwich off the grill and placed it on a plate. She cut it in half, on the diagonal of course and then set the plate on the counter before taking a seat herself.

“Smells…interesting. Good actually.” Murphy watched as she took a bite and a small bit of peanut butter leaked out and caught in the corner of her mouth. Her tongue slipped out and licked it off quickly before she took another bite. “I’ve never tasted peanut butter or bananas,” he told her matter of factly.

“Really?” she asked. How was that possible? Then she remembered how old he was and it made sense.

“Really. They didn’t have peanut butter when I was human and we certainly never saw bananas either. We did have honey, though I don’t really remember what it tastes like.”

She took another bite and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. She wanted to ask questions but was a bit afraid to. She wiped her lips with a napkin and then licked them, staring at her plate.

Murphy knew perfectly well that she wanted to ask questions but was debating whether or not to do it. He decided to share a little bit and see if it prompted more questions or answered them. “I was born in 1599 Raven and turned in 1625. I was the oldest son of a local lord.”

“Oh, my goodness, I didn’t know that. I mean, I knew that, well Clarke said, that um, you were like 400 years old, but I never…” She digested his words for a few moments and then asked, “Where are you from, originally that is?”

It had been many, many years since Murphy had talked about that other life; the last person he had told was Sarah. Vampires didn’t usually talk about this stuff, it was sort of regarded as sacred to the person and you just didn’t ask about the human life. Still, he was strangely comfortable talking to Raven, something that surprised him a great deal.

“Ireland, I’m from Ireland, the village of Kinnock, on the eastern coast.”

“Is that where you were turned? Someone in the village?”

“I was turned there, but not by someone from the village. No, she was definitely not from the village,” he laughed. “She was a pirate; I guess I was part of her booty that trip.”

“So you were turned by a pirate? Did you become a pirate?”

He laughed outright. _Oh Raven, the tales I could tell you. Shock you right to the core no doubt_. “I was a pirate for awhile, until I got to the new world that is.” He shrugged, grinning broadly.

“What was your name, back then Murphy?”

The one question he had never answered for anyone, not even Sarah. He debated for a moment and almost jumped when the phone rang.

Raven jumped up with a totally girlish squeal and ran to the living room to grab her phone. Murphy wasn’t sure if he was thankful or not, but the question of his name would remain a secret for now. He watched Raven come back into the room, talking excitedly into the phone.

“Yes, I’m so happy to hear from you Clarkey. Hey, Murphy is here, I’m going to put you on speaker, okay?”

“Murphy is there, with you?” Clarke asked, clearly surprised.

“Yes, he stopped in to ask if I had heard from you yet. Is Bellamy there?”

“Yes, I am Raven. Hey Murphy,” he said, as surprised as Clarke was that Murphy was with Raven.

“Bellamy, Clarke. So how is our little fledgling doing?” Murphy asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“I’m good, actually, I feel great! I don’t like the freezer when it’s too cold though and things are really bright, you know? And coffee still tastes great, even though Bellamy says I can’t taste it, but I CAN Murphy! And I can jump too!”

Murphy laughed as she seemed to run out of steam and puzzled over the coffee bit. “So you’re drinking coffee? What about blood?”

“Oh, that too. Bellamy tastes really good, I must say!” she said with a low sound that sounded almost like a purr.

Murphy watched a blush sweep up Raven’s face; she didn’t realize how being a vamp could change someone’s outlook. Most vamps were very earthy, sensual and it sounded like Clarke was no different. “So you can jump, huh?”

“Yes, but Bellamy yelled at me. He’s all worried that I might hurt myself, but I’ll heal if I break a bone won’t I Murphy?”

“Yes, you’ll heal but it will still hurt Clarke.”

“Exactly what I told her. She doesn’t listen very well, I gotta say,” Bellamy said sorrowfully.

“Now Clarke, be a good fledgling and listen to your sire! He might have to spank you otherwise,” Murphy said with a snicker and then laughed outright at the totally embarrassed look on Raven’s face. “Sorry,” he mouthed to her silently.

“He…he wouldn’t, would he?” Clarke asked, her voice trembling.

“Look what you have caused Murphy,” Raven scolded. She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she listened to Clarke cry on the other end of the phone and Bellamy trying to soothe her. Raven and Murphy both heard a few snuffles as Clarke stopped crying; had there been a handy knife around Murphy would be sporting it right about now Raven decided. 

Raven and Murphy listened as Bellamy consoled her, assuring her of his love and that he wouldn’t ever spank her, that Murphy had been teasing. Finally, Clarke seemed to be okay and asked the question that both Bellamy and Clarke needed the answer to.

“Raven, what happened there? I only remember a rush as Kelly flew past and that’s all. Bellamy was watching me, so we don’t know what happened.”

It all rushed back at Raven, last night on the beach. It seemed a long time ago or maybe only a heartbeat, it was still so fresh in her mind. With quiet words she told them all that had happened as she watched.

“You killed her? Kelly? Oh Raven,” Clarke cried, her heart aching for her friend. “I’m so sorry, so sorry.”

“Don’t be – I don’t regret it a bit. I – well, it’s hard but I don’t regret doing it Clarke. I’d do it again. It was just so hard watching everything that happened after that.”

They all knew that she was talking about Clarke’s turning. Each one remembered how it had happened, in their own way. Murphy, wondering if Bellamy could do it and Raven panicking as she thought Bellamy wouldn’t do it. At least it was done, and Clarke was okay.

“You’re okay Clarke? Really okay?” Raven asked again, needing the reassurance.

“Yes, I’m happy Raven. I don’t regret it at all. I called Ben and resigned, told him that there was just too much stress and Bellamy and I were here trying to have a baby. I guess I’ll tell Harper something along those lines. She’s called me twice and Wells called once as well. I’m sure that Ben told him I’d quit and that’s why he called.

“So that will be our story? The baby thing I mean?” Raven asked, knowing that she would have to be able to back that up with Harper at least.

“Yes, I don’t know what else to say. Do you think it will work?”

“For a while, but Clarke, sooner or later, well, Harper you know? We can’t keep it from her forever.”

“I know,” Clarke said, her words barely audible as she thought about her friend. “When the time comes we’ll figure something out. Raven, I miss you and I love you too. I wish I could see you.”

“Ditto Clarkey. Call me tomorrow night again?”

“Yes, I will. We’ll make it a nightly thing, okay?”

“Okay. Bye,” Raven said, pushing the end key.

Murphy reached across the counter and lightly squeezed her hand, a gesture of comfort. And the surprising thing was, she let him do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Clarke, as a fledgling is almost child-like in some aspects, but that won't last for long. Murphy can't resist teasing her and Raven a bit as well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops! I almost forgot its Friday! Here goes anyway. :D Clarke's conversation with Harper doesn't go very well and afterwards Harper breaks down while Monty listens, understanding how hurt she was. Bellamy tries to deal with his guilt about his vampire life and a look back at a conversation with Tim many years ago helps to help him reconcile some of his guilt.

Harper was weighing heavily on Clarke’s mind when she got off the phone with Raven. She felt terrible and guilty about avoiding her friend and decided to call her, even though she felt weary and tired. Those feelings amazed her since she didn’t realize that vamps could feel tired.

Clarke stared at her phone for a few minutes, trying to figure out exactly what to say. Harper wasn’t anyone’s fool and knew Clarke well enough to know when she wasn’t being honest and that bothered Clarke most of all. She didn’t want to lie to Harper, but what other choice did she have? Keeping the secret was the number one priority; she understood that and was prepared to live with it but how could she keep this secret from one of her oldest and dearest friends when the other one knew the truth. She was finally beginning to understand difficult, dangerous and complicated. 

She was growing more tired by the minute and realized she couldn’t put it off any longer so she took a deep, unnecessary breath and punched the button that would connect her with Harper, who answered on the first ring.  
  
“Clarke! Clarkey, I’m so glad you called.” Harper said and Clarke noticed the fatigue in her voice.

“Hey Harper, I’m sorry I haven’t called you back sooner, but it’s been kind of crazy here, getting settled in and all. How are you doing?”

After a short laugh Harper said, “Feeling like a beached whale, but that’s perfectly normal for a woman who is about 15 months pregnant!”

Clarke laughed too, understanding how it must feel for her friend to be cooped up in the house, resting constantly. She’s was experiencing a bit of that herself right now. “Well, it shouldn’t be too much longer. What’s the doctor say?”

“Any day now, actually. I’m fully effaced and dilated to 3. She’s at zero station and pressing down hard. I think she’s a bit anxious to come and meet the world...”

Clarke heard the sadness creep into her friend’s voice and knew that Harper really wanted her to be there. When Jordan was born in Alaska Clarke had been so sorry to miss it that she had promised to be there for the next one and now she was breaking that promise. 

“I’m so sorry I can’t be there Harper; I know this is terrible timing. It all just came down really fast, you know?”

“Well, actually I don’t know because you haven’t really told me what’s going on Clarke. Raven said you and Bellamy headed up there last night; seems pretty sudden to me.”

Clarke heard irritation in Harper’s voice and tried not to let it get to her. Bellamy carried a mug of blood into her to sip on while she spoke to her friend and she accepted it gratefully. She took a sip while considering her reply.

“I know Harper. I haven’t really wanted to say anything because you were having problems, but Bellamy and I have been trying hard to conceive and there was just too much stress in LA. The, um, doctor suggested we get away, from the city, from the pressure and all, so we did.” Clarke’s words were rushed and hesitant, a true tell to Harper.

“Clarke, for heaven’s sake, you two just got married! Why the rush?”

Bellamy, who could hear every word sat next to her on the couch and rubbed her leg softly, trying to show his support because he knew how difficult this was for Clarke. Clarke cleared her throat and said, “There are some special considerations here Harper, things that are hard to talk about right now. I’m sorry, but we’re doing what we have to right now. I know you’re upset with me and I’m so sorry for that. I’ll talk to you every day, I promise. Can you accept that?”

Harper was silent for so long that Clarke checked her phone to make sure the call was still connected. If she had been listening carefully, she would have heard Harper’s heart, beating quickly on the other end and her shaky breaths. Finally, Harper said, “I don’t understand this, but I love you Clarke and only want the best for you. I’ll look forward to talking to you. Listen, I really need to go; Monty is getting ready to feed Jordan and that’s always a disaster. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, talk to you then Harper,” Clarke said, realizing that Harper had already ended the call. 

She laid the phone down on the coffee table and looked at Bellamy, her eyes a deep, dark blue color and full of pain. She knew how much she had hurt Harper and it stabbed at her own heart, slicing sharply as the tears flowed. Bellamy wrapped his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close. There wasn’t anything he could do to take this pain from her, but he would comfort her as best he could. 

Clarke wrapped her arms around Bellamy and sobbed into his chest and he rocked her like a small child. He let her cry and hoped that the tears helped to wash the guilt and the pain away.

“This is my fault baby, all my fault,” he told her as he smoothed the hair back away from her face and kissed her tears away. “Not yours Clarke, my fault.”

Clarke was suddenly more alert as she thought about his words. “Just how is this _your_ fault Bellamy?”

“I should have watched over you better, I let you down.”

“Let me down? Watched over me better? How is that even possible Bellamy? What, you want to smother me constantly until I feel like I can’t breathe? I have to have freedom Bellamy; I couldn’t live like that.”

“I know, but I let you down. Because of me you are living a life that you weren’t ready for, making up lies and excuses to friends, all because I didn’t take care of you right.”

This was all getting really old to Clarke, this constant guilt he had over her turning. He was right, they hadn’t planned on it this soon, but it was going to happen eventually. A new thought occurred to her and she stared at him for a moment, a frown marring her pallid face. “You can’t handle me being turned so soon, can you? What, I’m not as attractive to you as a vampire? You can’t savor my rich, _human_ blood like you used to? You didn’t really think you’d be stuck with me forever?”

Her words stabbed at his undead heart and shook him to the core. For a moment he could only stare at her in utter amazement; surely, she didn’t believe any of that? What would you think Bellamy if she were reacting this way to you, if the roles were reversed?

It was a sobering thought.

He’d be suspicious and hurt about her reasoning, that’s how he’d feel. How could he expect anything less from Clarke?

“Clarke, I…I know that you are okay with this, but try as hard as I can, I remember how I felt, what I gave up, the people I sacrificed in my life because of this. It’s like an invisible cloak that covers me, and I can’t seem to shed it. I can’t imagine what it feels like, to actually _want_ this life. But I’m trying Clarke, for you I am trying as hard as I can.”

“But you want me to be human, still don’t you?”

“No, not exactly. I just didn’t want this for you so soon. I guess I imagined we’d have more time before you were turned, that you’d have more time.” He watched her face as he spoke and saw understanding begin to play across it. “And Clarke? This has nothing to do with your human blood baby. Nothing at all. You are more exciting to me as a vampire than I’d ever imagined. I’ve never felt this…communion of souls before, this magic that we share and create. Please believe me Clarke. We share this path; we are not alone.”

She nodded and laid her forehead against his, loving the contact. Her hands cupped the side of his face as she kissed him tenderly, a kiss of healing and love. 

It was enough for now. Bellamy still had demons to deal with and she intended to help him slay them. “I’m going to go and take that nap; are you okay down here?” The roles were reversed and they both felt the cosmic switch; she worried about him, being the caretaker.

“I’m fine. Go and take you’re nap Clarke.”

She nodded and kissed his lips one more time before heading upstairs. 

):(

As Harper punched the end key on her phone Monty stood in the doorway, closely watching his wife. The past few days had been rough for her and this thing with Clarke wasn’t helping. He saw tears running down her face and he went to her, kneeling between her legs and tried to wipe the tears away.

“What’s wrong honey? Are you okay?” he asked, his tone full of concern.

“She lied to me Monty. I don’t know why, but she lied.” She started sobbing in earnest then and Monty leaned forward to hold her, shushing her and stroking his fingers through her hair.

“Honey, you’re really emotional right now; I’m sure she didn’t lie to you.”

For a moment she considered an angry retort, but she knew that he was right about her emotions, they were constantly blasting off and out of control. She held him tightly, trying to stem her tears. He reached over to the table beside the couch and handed her a couple of tissues and waited as she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

“I’m not imagining it Monty. I know her as well as I know myself and she was lying. And even more than that, Raven knows what’s going on; when I talked to her earlier, I could tell that she did and assumed that Clarke would tell me too. I’m the odd one out here and it hurts so much.” The tears started again, and Monty held her close, not knowing what to say. If this was true, if Clarke was excluding Harper, he would never forgive her or Bellamy.

):(

Bellamy had certainly been telling the truth when he told her that as a fledgling she would be much like an infant, feeding, sleeping and craving bodily contact with him. She had to keep telling herself that he wouldn’t leave her, but the separation anxiety could be horrible. He told her it would get better soon, and she hoped he was right because dependence on another person, even one she loved as much as Bellamy was difficult for her. 

She pulled off her clothes and left them lying on the floor where they had dropped. That wasn’t really like her, but she figured she’d slip them on later, when she got up. She crawled into the freezer and set the temp to 40 degrees. She could handle 38 when Bellamy was in there, but she really preferred 40. She used the digital display to select some soothing music to lull her to sleep. She really didn’t need it but she enjoyed it. When Bellamy had read through the manual for the freezer, he discovered that there was a huge multi disk changer below and they loaded it with music and it made for a nice mood, for whatever they might decide to do. That brought a definite smile to her face and she told herself to hurry up and sleep because when she woke up she was going to have her way with her sexy as hell husband!

):(

Bellamy stretched out his long legs on the couch and leaned back, replaying the last few minutes with Clarke. His guilt and bitterness weren’t only killing him, it was killing them.

She didn’t look at it the same way he did; he’d always known that he was in a minority compared to many vamps. Not that they had all wanted to be turned, but most not only learned to live with it, they liked it and thrived.

Why couldn’t he do that?

How do you reconcile yourself with living forever when you can’t forgive yourself for the past? Even before Echo he’d left a devastated wake in his path, starting with Ray and Lila. Meeting Robert and Jacob had brought it all back into focus, his past that is. 

He had been genuinely happy that Robert had been Ray’s son but that didn’t ease the gut-wrenching ache in his own gut; a feeling of isolation, of loneliness. Clarke filled that spot but isn’t it natural to want to leave a legacy behind? That had been his shot, but it hadn’t been one at all. 

He and Clarke thought that they had a shot, but that didn’t work either. Did he have to have a child to feel fulfilled, to feel complete? No, he felt those things with Clarke and if he were really honest, their bond had increased so much since she was turned it almost scared him. He felt angry that their chance was ripped from them, their dream torn asunder. He could so easily imagine Clarke with a child; himself holding them close, loving them forever. 

He shut his eyes tightly as if to spurn that vision, but it was replaced by another. Margie, the woman that he had left abruptly for Echo. Margie was every guy’s dream, so beautiful with the most gorgeous red hair that glimmered copper in the sunlight. He remembered all the times they had spent on the beach, planning a future and then in a snap it was gone. As soon as Echo came along. Her use of allure had been staggering in its goal. He barely even remembered Margie after that.

That guilt was still overwhelming for him. He’d hurt her more than probably anyone in this life. He didn’t know how her life had turned out, but he hoped that she had lived a good, happy life. 

The guilt didn’t stop there either; it only morphed into something that was unthinkable. A monster? He was in ways that he didn’t ever want Clarke to experience. Murphy had taught him that you didn’t have to kill to exist and for a while after he went back to Echo he’d stuck with that. Echo had plenty of cash; the expense of freshies was nothing to her but by using them Echo didn’t get the fun that she craved – the hunt, the kill. Eventually she had taught him to crave it too, until it became too much of a sickness for him. 

Worst of all though was when Clarke was 17, on the beach and kissing a boy while he’d lurked in the shadows. He’d wanted to kill that boy for touching her, for tasting her sweetness. He knew that if he didn’t leave LA that he eventually would do something like that. So, he left and ended up here and began to heal.

_2010_

_It played over and over in his mind, like a film loop gone wild, that moment on the beach when Clarke was being kissed by that guy. He’d played out different scenarios, he’d rushed to her and demanded that he leave her alone and she’d look up at him with grateful eyes or he’d punch the kid’s lights out…or worse. Fantasies, all of it but it was steeped into his brain until he felt like he was going crazy, like he was crazy. It wouldn’t stop and each time he felt guiltier, until that was about the only emotion he had left._

_Guilt, it was vile, poisonous and grabbed you by the balls and refused to let go. All the bitter guilt that had seeped into his soul, things he couldn’t change now. He couldn’t forget it all and he couldn’t escape it, could he? He only knew of one way but that thought scared him too._

_He needed air; he needed to breathe in the cool, moist air that held the tang of Puget Sound. He decided to get out of the house, and he paused outside and sucked in a sharp breath and felt it fill his lungs and then whoosh out. He stood for a moment, trying to decide between heading east to the sound or west to Tim’s fire circle where the Cheyenne man was surely sitting, chanting or praying, as the mood took him. It was a nightly ritual for him Bellamy had learned and the couple of times he’d been there it had been relaxing._

_Of course, there was another draw on this evening, fire, ever present, crackling bursts of heat that leapt into the heavens. Would his ashes leap to the heavens too he wondered? Was that where he was heading? To seek a final end to a life that was no longer really a life. How long had it been since he had felt happy? Truly happy and excited to be alive?_

_Far longer than he could remember._

_There had been moments of happiness, where the guilt wasn’t overriding his being. How much was a person supposed to handle in a lifetime, or rather a life that wasn’t and went on forever?_

_How did he forget the monster within and how did he forgive himself for it all? If he chose to end it, what did the next level of existence hold for him, for any vampire? Was there another place?_

_He had long given up the idea of hell; walking a vampire’s existence was hell enough. But what about heaven? Would it be a place of peace? A place where he could forgive himself? He wished he knew._

_He headed off to Tim’s fire, knowing that this night he needed the companionship of his friend. He scented the various types of wildlife in the forest around him, scampering away as he quietly walked the pine needle path that softly crunched under his footfalls. He could already scent the fire, pine wood burning lazily in the night. There was a nip in the air, and he exhaled a long stream and watched as the vapor streamed out in front of him like a small cloud misting in the night._

_As he approached the fire Tim stood up, staring at him intently. Bellamy saw his head lift as he scented the air and caught the frown that spread across his face._

_“The fire is not for you tonight na’hae. It is not the doorway you seek.”_

_Bellamy stuck his hands down into the pockets of his jeans and thought about the words that Tim had spoken. The toe of his boots traced little circles in the damp earth and when he finally looked up, he saw that Tim had moved closer to him, eyes silvered in the glow of the firelight._

_He got the point; Tim wasn’t going to allow anything to happen tonight. With a resigned sigh Bellamy sat down on one of the thick logs that were placed around the fire. Tim retreated back to his seat and sat down, still watching Bellamy for any sudden signs of movement._

_“I am lost on my path Tim; I have no peace in my heart or my head. I cannot resolve the past so that I can find joy in the future. How do I do this?”_

_“You must accept yourself and all that you have done. Only then can you move forward. Your past is like a weight that pulls you down; you must never forget the past for it is what has made you the man you are. The past hurts na’hae; it is easier for us to push it out of our minds but that does not let us move forward. As a man and a vampire, you have done things you regret and you wear the guilt like a steel cloak, surrounding yourself with it. Accept that you cannot change those things; let them be a memory that shows you the right path to follow, so that you do not make those mistakes again.”_

_“How do I do that? I’ve tried Tim, I have.”_

_“You are caught between what you think a man who is a vampire is and what you feel you are. A man can easily be a vampire, but a vampire cannot so easily be a man. No one truly knows the nature of a vampire. Are we intently good or made for evil? The truth is that you can be whatever you desire to be Bellamy. Good or evil; you create your own path.”_

_“Do you believe that vampires have souls?”_

_“I believe that all of the Great Spirits creatures have souls. Do you believe that you do not?”_

_“My behavior has been soulless at times. Since we are not truly alive or dead, how can we have a soul?”_

_“You walk upon the earth; your body still functions, just in a different way than before. Whether you are alive or not is a matter of opinion na’hae. I choose to live. What do you choose?”_

_Bellamy nodded, staring into the dancing flames of the fire. He picked up a handful of soil and let it slip through his fingers; it felt cool and moist in his hand and he breathed in deeply, trying to pull in all the wisdom that Tim shared with him._

_“I choose to live,” Bellamy said simply. Tim nodded with satisfaction._

Bellamy stared at the fire that burned in the fireplace. It’s funny, most vampires feared fire, a fear born of understanding the enemy, true death. Bellamy didn’t fear it, it soothed him, lulled him at times and this was one of them. 

He had chosen to live as a vampire again to save her.

Clarke chose to live as well, chose a life of forever with him and in a way that was saving him. He remembered back to Tim’s words that long-ago night and realized that it was all up to him. The guilt pulled him down, sucking him into a bottomless morass that he felt incapable of escaping from. It suddenly occurred to him that he had exactly what he needed to pull himself out; he had Clarke and her love. It was more than enough. 

He heard her rise from the freeze upstairs and before he even had a chance to think about it she was on his lap, clinging to him.

“Bellamy, I needed you,” she told him as she held him tightly.

“You have me. Remember I told you that sometimes fledglings are like a baby? They need to see their sire. It’s okay love, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

She nodded as she relaxed and stretched out on his lap. She hadn’t taken the time to put her clothes on and Bellamy watched the mellow flames of the fire spread a liquid gold color over her body. She was so beautiful it made him ache for her.

“Do you need to feed baby?”

“Yes,” she replied, her voice a mere whisper.

He turned her so that her back was to his chest and her legs were resting on either side of his own. As she settled in Bellamy inhaled her scent, a potent miasmic swirl of Clarke and sex and love. He brought his left arm around her and she took it in her small hands and stared in rapt fascination for a moment before she kissed his wrist softly and then traced her tongue lazily along the vein, seeking the sweet spot for both of them.

Anticipation rocked him in the gut, and he couldn’t wait to feel her baby fangs against his skin. When she bit, she did it with precision and little fuss; a clean bite just deep enough for the blood to leisurely pool in her mouth. She let out a soft growl of satisfaction and craving as Bellamy scented her desire. 

His jeans grew uncomfortable and tight and he tried to shift on the cushion without disturbing her, but she moved with him, her limbs flowing over his like honey from the comb. His hand reached around and teased along her bare skin, traveling slowly and sensuously along the firm planes of her belly until swept upwards and captured a firmly rounded breast in his hand and kneaded lightly, sweeping nimble fingers over her aroused nipple and making it stiffen even more. 

She moaned, a moan of desire and he scented the liquid need that was flowing from her body. He breathed deeply and letting it wash over him, through him. He kissed her neck, stroking it with his tongue and playing it like the finest, most revered instrument as his hand strummed along her quivering tummy. She had all but stopped feeding and he felt her spread her legs farther apart so that he would have no doubt as to what she wanted, craved.

Long teasing fingers made their way to the curly blonde hair that covered her sex and he cupped her, rubbing against her lightly. She thrust upwards against his palm, rhythmically trying to increase the contact. His fingers dipped into the sweetly flowing nectar and traced lovingly over the swollen folds and drew gentle circles over the hardened nub of desire that quivered at his touch. 

He inserted a finger and then two into her, working them in and out of her tightly gripping body. She started feeding again as he increased the tempo and she strained against his hand and suddenly she felt the pinnacle of joy wash over her and her eyes shut tightly as she rocked with it. Bellamy gentled his caresses until he felt her body stop contracting around him and slipped his fingers out of her, leaving wet trails up her belly. 

Clarke pulled her fangs out and sealed the wounds with a kiss, still marveling at quickly they healed. She stood up and looked down at him, her body alit in the fires glow and she held her hand out to him, urging him to follow her back upstairs.

He couldn’t do anything else. She was his choice.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murphy and Raven have 'dinner' together again, sort of. Murphy confronts Katrina and is frustrated by the outcome of the situation. Raven is worried about Harper and confesses that worry to Murphy. Ben still puzzles over the mystery of Bellamy Blake, but why? What information is he trying to find?

Murphy pulled the Ferrari to a stop and cut the lights and the ignition. He was about a block from the cleaner’s headquarters and he waited while Ryan and Mike pulled up behind him. He saw a Bentley parked to the right and knew that it was Miguel. As he got out of the car to speak with Miguel, he noticed that he had also brought backup with him. Good thing, Murphy thought because Katrina wouldn’t go down without a fight. A big one he anticipated and hoped that Miguel and his men were armed with the right ammunition.

Moving almost silently across the asphalt Murphy, Mike and Ryan headed over to the shadows to join Miguel. Murphy had heard from Colleen a few minutes before who had told him that Katrina was in her office working. Even though this would be the last night that Colleen worked with the cleaners Murphy had told her to make herself scarce while all this was going down; he didn’t want anyone in the group that was loyal to Katrina to figure out that Colleen was working with him.

“Are we ready?” Miguel asked. Even though his voice was hushed it sounded loud in the quiet night. 

“Yes. Colleen says she’s in her office and that the night has been quiet so far. Let’s get this over with. Oh, and by the way? Subdue her anyway you like or need to but then she’s mine. Does everyone understand that?” Everyone nodded, including Miguel who raised his eyebrows at Murphy’s vehement words. They didn’t surprise him a bit; Murphy took care of his own. That was one of the things that Miguel admired most about the vampire named John Murphy.

“Let’s go then. Inside the building, only Miguel and I will enter Katrina’s office; the rest of you hang back out of sight. She’ll scent you, can’t help that but better she doesn’t see you too.” With those abrupt words Murphy headed down the street, staying in the shadows and walking with determination. Once they reached the door, they moved fast, hands on weapons as they made a beeline for Katrina’s office. Miguel and Murphy entered without knocking on the door causing Katrina to look up with irritation until she saw who her guests were. The irritation shifted into caution as she sat up straighter in her chair, trying to seem unconcerned. Murphy could scent the truth though; she was just this side of panic at the sight of them.

“Katrina,” Murphy said, stepping a bit closer. “We have some business to attend to.”

Katrina stood up and inhaled, smelling several others outside her door. She wasn’t sure what was going on but it didn’t bode well for her she knew. 

Katrina had been the head of the LA cleaners for over 30 years; she not only knew where the bodies were buried – she’d put them there. This job had been lucrative for her; lots of vamps liked to pay for anonymity and she’d taken full advantage of that, keeping much of that business off the books. Several million dollars worth at last count and she’d kept count frequently. Dual bookkeeping was a marvelous thing as were bank accounts in the Cayman Islands. Only a few of her most trusted employees knew the truth and shared in the spoils of the business. She sighed inwardly, knowing that the time had come; Murphy had finally caught on to it all, but it was okay, she wasn’t without a backup plan. She stood up and let her foot run under the edge of the desk, seeking and finding a small button hidden carefully away. Her toe touched it lightly and she was rewarded by the almost imperceptible ‘click’ that meant freedom.

Murphy’s ears perked up at the sound, but he couldn’t tell where it had come from. Could have been anything he realized but he took another step towards her, leaning over the desk until his face was only inches from Katrina’s. “Don’t try anything foolish Katrina. Do you know why we’re here?”

“No idea at all Murphy,” she said coolly, still meeting his gaze. “Why don’t you tell me so we can all know what this is about?”

“Playing games Katrina? Okay, I’ll play. Last night a ghost appeared and attacked Clarke Blake. The good thing is, she really IS dead this time. But I’m curious whose ashes you showed me before? Could they have been Billie’s?”

_Kelly! Damn the bitch! She just couldn’t stay away from Blake. I should have known better than to let her live._

Keeping her face as straight as possible Katrina said, “She escaped that night Murphy; I – I was afraid, so I killed Billie. I didn’t know what to do because I knew you’d be so angry.” She could only hope that Murphy would buy it and feel a bit of pity for her predicament. At his look of anger, she could tell it hadn’t worked. She backed up a bit from him, only partially faking the look of fear on her face. He was out for blood – hers and she knew that this was it; all the preparations that she had made over the years were going to be tested. “It was a foolish thing to do Murphy, I know,” she said, inching backwards towards a floor to ceiling bookshelf that lined the wall behind her desk. 

“You’ll pay for that fuck up with your life Katrina,” Miguel said softly. He pulled a gun out, loaded with silver bullets and took aim. “Come around the desk now and I won’t shoot. Let Murphy handle this for you because you really don’t want to feel the burn of the silver.”

“As opposed to the burn of the flames?” she said, her voice tight and high as she started to feel the steely cold fingers of fear for the first time. She needed to get out now and leaned back against the shelves behind her.

Murphy scented the fear rolling off her but there was also the scent of satisfaction and he didn’t understand that at all. A moment later he did as Katrina vanished before their eyes, slipping behind the shelf that had pivoted when she pushed against it.

“Fuck!” Murphy yelled, jumping over the desk and pushing at the shelf with no luck. From the other side of it he head a distinct thud as it was barricaded and then footsteps running away. “Outside now, she has to come out of there somewhere. Find her!” Mike, Ryan and Miguel’s two men took off towards the outside door in search of Katrina.

Miguel rounded the desk, helping to push against the shelves but Murphy knew that it was no use; she’d locked them from the other side. “It’s locked Miguel, I heard it. But I also heard a click when she stood up, there’s some type of mechanism here,” he said as he started feeling along the desk and floor. “It has to be here somewhere.”

Wendy, one of the newer cleaners knocked on the doorway as she had heard what happened. “I think there is a catch or button under the bottom of the desk. I’ve seen them use it before, but they didn’t know that I knew.”

Murphy’s head snapped up at her words; she was young, in human and vamp years alike and how the hell she had ended up here, with this nest of vipers was beyond him. Maybe her youth was only a ploy and behind that innocence beat the heart of a devil. Who knew? 

“Who are you if you knew that why didn’t you report that information before?” He stood directly in front of him and noticed that she met his eyes without flinching.

“I’m Wendy, I’ve only been here a few months. I saw her use it, taking some books in there. I don’t know if it’s a room or what. I was trying to find out more information before I reported it Mr. Murphy because it could have been nothing, you know?”

Murphy watched her and decided she was telling the truth. “Show me how to get in there Wendy.”

She walked around the desk and started moving nimble fingers around the bottom of the desk and finally found what she was seeking. They all heard a click this time and Murphy pushed on the shelf and it gave way. All three of them stepped into the inky blackness of the room on the other side. Murphy searched for a light switch and finally found what he was looking for. The lights came up, making all of them blink at the brightness. 

The small room held a safe and a small desk and chair. A tunnel led out of the room on the other side and Murphy headed towards it. After about twenty feet he found that the tunnel split three ways and he couldn’t pick up a scent as to which way she went. Damn, he needed Bellamy and his ability to read a scene. He walked back into the main room hoping that the boys had better luck outside. 

In the room he saw Miguel studying the safe, a frown marring his face. “Any luck?” he said over his shoulder before coming to his feet.

“No, there are at least three other tunnels leading out of here and I couldn’t tell which one she took. Can you get into the safe? She certainly didn’t have time to open it and I have to wonder what’s in there.”

“Couldn’t get in, but I know someone who can.” Miguel picked up his phone and quickly dialed a number, speaking in rapid Spanish to someone on the other end. He closed it shut with a snap and grinned. “Benito is coming over, he has a gift, you might say,” he told them with a broad grin.

“I think I’m going to like Benito. Now Wendy, anything else you know that would be helpful?”

“Not really Mr. Murphy. Maybe that Katrina, Diane, Lorinda and Marcia were all very close and seemed to have a lot of meetings, behind closed doors I mean. If anyone knows anything it would be them. I’m so sorry Mr. Murphy, I’ve never worked as a cleaner before and I didn’t really realize that anything was wrong with their behavior, for all I knew it is always like this.” 

She stared at him with huge blue eyes that reminded him of Clarke, and he felt his heart soften a bit. “Wendy, as long as you’re telling the truth you’ll be fine. Do you happen to know where I might find the other three?”

“There’s a duty roster on the computer out there,” she said indicating the on duty room with a nod of her head. “It should say where they are if they are working.”

Murphy nodded and headed to the computer terminal; it seems there was more work to do this evening than he had planned.

):(

Sunday had been a busy day for Raven; she’d done laundry, bought some groceries and gone to see Harper and strangely enough, that was the hardest task of all. Harper was somewhat cold to her and didn’t feel like talking at all. Raven put it down to pregnancy fatigue but in her heart, she knew better; Harper was hurt and there wasn’t anything that Raven could do to help. Instead she tried to be bright and cheerful and keep the conversation going but it was like talking to a wall and Harper gave no response to anything she said, even though Raven studiously avoided the subject of Clarke. Jordan wasn’t even there to provide another focus because Monty had taken her with him to go out to the Institute to work for a while. 

After an hour of trying to make conversation she gave up and got ready to leave. “I had better get going Harper; I’ve still got to stop at the store on my way home. Can I get you anything before I leave?” she asked hopefully. It hurt her to see Harper like this and she felt more than a little guilty because she knew that it had to do with Clarke not being here. Harper suspected something and since Raven wasn’t talking Harper just decided not to talk either.

“You could tell me the truth about what’s going on with Clarke,” Harper said, staring Raven in the eyes. 

Raven blushed and looked away hastily; what Harper asked was impossible and it made her hurt for Harper, to be excluded like this. “I can’t Harper; it’s not my story to tell. If I could tell you I would. It’s not something that is easily shared, and Clarke and Bellamy have to be the ones to tell you. Please accept that,” she said, feeling the burning sting of tears as she tried to blink them away.

“Oh my God, something is wrong with her isn’t it?” Harper said, suddenly scared for her friend. “Raven, please tell me! I can’t stand this silence from everyone. I talked to Abby and she said everything was fine, but I don’t believe any of you!”

“Harper, what I can tell you is that she really IS okay. But she can’t come home for a – awhile anyway. And it’s not the kind of thing you talk about on the phone. You weren’t purposely excluded Harper, honestly you weren’t. You just have to accept that she loves you and when she can talk about it she will. And until then I can’t say anything more. Please Harper, please accept that.”

“Just leave Raven, okay? I can’t deal with this right now. I’ll call you, I promise,” Harper said, wiping away tears. _Damn she hated this; she seemed to cry constantly, and she was tired of it._

Raven left – there was nothing else to do. She finished her errands and headed home. As she carried the groceries up, she realized she was hungry and looked over the offerings she’d brought home. Nothing looked good at all, so she called in an order for sushi all the while laughing at herself about the hundred buck’s worth of groceries that she didn’t want to eat.

She climbed into the shower, replaying the conversation she’d had with Harper. When Clarke called this evening, she had to let her know how bad this was. It could affect Harper’s pregnancy, all this pain and stress. She was genuinely worried about Harper and hated the position she was in. She supposed that she could have lied to her and said everything was fine, but Harper knew better than that and she didn’t want to compound one lie with more.

Out of the shower she climbed into a pair of shorts and a tank top to await her sushi. She hunted through the wine rack for a bottle of Fuki, Japanese plum wine which would go well with the sushi. It was better cold but would have to make do with a little fridge time she decided; it would at least make it cool.

When she shut the door to the fridge, she heard the door bell ring and jumped; it had only been 20 minutes since she’d ordered and it always took about an hour for it to get here. She headed into the living room, stopping to grab a twenty out of her purse and flung open the door only to see Murphy standing there, wearing a cock-eyed grin on his face.

“Well gee Raven, you don’t have to pay me to come visit!” he teased.

Raven rolled her eyes and said, “What Murphy? What do you want; I’ve had a rough day and I’m waiting for my dinner to be delivered.”

A serious look flashed across his face for a moment and chewed his lower lip for a moment. “I kind of know that feeling; things didn’t go so well with Katrina last night.”

Alarm spread rapidly though Raven and she stepped aside, bidding him to enter. “What happened Murphy?” she asked, already pouring him a glass of scotch. She pointed to the sofa and handed him the glass which he gladly took. 

He took a sip of the drink and was tempted to down it all at once; instead he held it up to the waning afternoon light and watched the dappled sunlight glinting through the amber colored liquid. A couple of unnecessary breaths later he finally spoke up, telling Raven what had happened at the cleaner’s offices.

“So, after we got into her room we found a safe and when we got it open we discovered that she had been keeping a double set of books; skimming the profits.”

“Who gets those profits Murphy? Is it a corporation or something?”

“No, the cleaners themselves. It’s a profit-sharing independent organization. They all work and share the profits equally, except for the leader or head cleaner that gets 10% above the others. In this case Katrina had been skimming 30% over the total amount that the other cleaners never even saw. She took lion’s share of that money and shared 10 % with three of the other cleaners who were in on it with her. We got their names and called them in. Fools all, they had assumed that if Katrina ever got caught, she’d give them a heads up, but she didn’t. She had almost 3 million dollars socked away in an offshore bank account. Thanks to Jasper, that money is all gone now.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of money. So, what happens now?” she asked.

“The other three were executed and two others were fired because we suspect that they had an idea what was going on. So, we’re down a half dozen cleaners in LA right now and that’s not so good. Colleen is going to work for me but will stay with the cleaners for a few days until we can get a few hired on. And we have a new lead cleaner coming in with no connections to cleaners anywhere. He’ll be here tomorrow.” He tipped the glass up and swallowed the last of the scotch and felt the burn as it slipped down his throat.

“You really did have a rough day or night, I guess. Mine can’t really top that but I did have a very uncomfortable conversation with Harper. She knows that Clarke lied to her and she knows that I have answers. I assured her that Clarke is okay, but it didn’t really help anything Murphy. I don’t know what to do because I feel rotten about it. We’ve always, always been together; a secret for one was a secret for all. Now she’s left out and I can’t make it better for her.” She was interrupted by the doorbell and stood up saying, “Now, that is surely my dinner. I’ll be right back.”

Murphy thought about what she’d said, about Harper and felt helpless as well. It wasn’t his place to tell Harper and Monty, just as it wasn’t Raven’s. This was where difficult, dangerous and complicated got a foothold and dug in. Every single vamp out there he knew had had to walk away from someone they cared about when they were turned and that may have to happen here. It was just so much more complicated in this case because of the connections the girls had. How do you brush aside 20 odd years of friendship with one of them and stay with the other?

Murphy caught a familiar scent and for a moment he smiled at the memory it stirred. Raven carried her dinner into the kitchen and Murphy followed, leaning lazily against the doorway as Raven transferred her dinner to a plate. She sat it down on the bar counter and grabbed the bottle of Fuki and two glasses and set them down as well before taking a seat. She opened the wine and held a glass up to Murphy who nodded with a smile.

“Sushi! Man, that brings back a memory,” he said as he watched her smear some green wasabi on a piece of tuna temaki and dip it in soy sauce.

Raven quirked one eyebrow up in question as she chewed the bite of sushi. After she swallowed and took a sip of the wine she asked, “Why? Surely they didn’t have sushi before you were turned!”

“Um yes but we called it bait,” he said with a laugh. “When Bellamy was human, he set out to try as many human foods as possible, especially ones that he had seen Clarke eat or heard her talk about, sushi being one of them. I just happened to be lucky enough to see it.” He started laughing in earnest then, remembering Bellamy’s reaction to the wasabi.

“And…?”

“He put a huge piece of the wasabi on the bite and popped it into his mouth. That was right before his head exploded, well figuratively anyway. He dumped the whole load of it into the trash and said it was ‘fucking dangerous to eat nowadays’. See, he’d sort of had a bad experience with Kung Pao Chicken, extra spicy as well. I think he stuck with steak and burgers the rest of his human time.”

Raven had taken a sip of the Fuki and choked on it when she started laughing so hard. Almost no one could take the extra spicy stuff like Clarke did. As she dabbed wine off her face she started giggling again, imagining poor Bellamy and the ‘dangerous’ food. “I guess food probably has changed some since 1959.” She took another drink of the wine which thankfully went down okay and asked, “Why do we always end up talking about food?”

“Um, because you’re always eating. Seriously, for such a tiny girl you really do eat a lot!”

She laughed and threw her napkin at him and then answered, “I guess that’s because about the only time I got to eat when I was young was at Clarke’s house. My parents weren’t around much, and the housekeeper didn’t think it was her job to make sure the kid was fed.”

Murphy stared at the golden wine in his glass as he contemplated her words. “So, your parents weren’t around much?”

“Not if there was any type of social event somewhere. My parents are true socialites and thrill to being invited to every event they can get to. They may hate one another and I’m sure they do, but just let someone hold up a camera in front of them and they are like two teenagers in love. Yes, Michael and Eloise Reyes are quite the thing.”

“Your father is Michael Reyes? Sponsor of Bright Beginnings?” Murphy was amazed; he’d met her mother and father many times at business gatherings and never knew they had a child. Michael’s foundation helped third world countries acquire new technology to help in communications and farming. Murphy had donated several million to the foundation over the years. “I’ll be damned.”

“So, you’ve heard of them then? Not surprised at all. They revel in hanging with the rich and famous. Just not their daughter. Or each other when they are alone, I might add; they fought violently at times and so I spent a good portion of my time with Abby and Clarke; I love them both so much and Harper was a part of that as well. They were all my foster family when Mom and Dad were AWOL.”

“Is that all the family you have? Brothers or sisters?” he asked, curious.

“Nope, only me. My dad has a strange brother, named Martin. He only comes around whenever he needs money, which is too frequent for my tastes. He gives me the creeps actually. My mom has a brother who lives in New York, my uncle Paul. He’s married to my aunt Pat and they have 3 girls. I used to take vacations with them in the summers sometimes; I always enjoyed that.”

The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. This explained so much about Raven; her independent nature and the need to hold herself back with people. Other than Clarke, Harper and Abby that is because she grew up feeling loved by them. She didn’t want to get close to anyone because it meant she might be rejected. Another thought occurred to him – she said her parents fought violently. Did that violence include her? He couldn’t ask because it would upset her, but he was going to do a bit of investigating on his own.

This also made him think about the situation with Harper; this wasn’t just keeping information from anyone; this was from family and while there wasn’t anything, they could do about it right now he understood the hurt that all three girls must be feeling. He needed to talk to Bellamy about it all, without the girls around.

):(

Jasper pulled into Audrey’s driveway and cut the engine in the car. He had a bag of some clothes and blood with him, but he’d been thinking about this situation all evening. He’d went home to catch some freezer time and to feed and check messages, but he was back now and intended to stay the night again. They needed to talk about the living arrangements. They might not have been together all that long yet but he knew that she was his mate, he knew it deep down inside and they needed to figure all this out. Her place wasn’t big enough, but his was a wreck. That could be remedied though, and he hoped she’d be willing to try. 

He hoped with all his heart because he knew he didn’t want to be apart from her ever again.

):(

Ben looked through the file yet again, searching for a clue about Bellamy Blake. How did Bellamy Blake, born in 1929 relate to the current Bellamy Blake? They looked identical, mirror images of one another and had to be related, but after months of investigation he still couldn’t find a connection. He was missing something, somewhere, he had to be. When Blake married Echo Duvall in 1959 he disappeared, was probably dead because their hotel room was covered with blood. They got some fingerprints, but DNA evidence didn’t exist then, so there was no blood or other types of evidence in storage. But if he died then, could he have had another child that was unknown before then? 

He leaned back in the chair and tapped the pencil he was holding on the desktop. He’d hired a private investigator in France to check out the Duvall family and got little information. The branch of the family that lived in the Duvall chateau claimed that they didn’t know anything about Echo and Bellamy, whether they were dead or alive. The investigator thought that they knew more than they were telling but felt positive that they weren’t going to talk about it. So, he was checking out the Duvall family in hopes that something would turn up. He also hoped that he might get an unhappy servant to talk as well.

He needed answers and there was only one person who might still hold a few. He headed off to see Margie, with the hope that she’d remembered something since the last time he had seen her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope summer or winter isn't treating you too badly. Here in Kansas it's miserably hot, which is usual for this time of year. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and find the growing relationships between Jasper and Audrey and Murphy and Raven entertaining because there is certainly more to come for them, as well as for Bellamy and Clarke.
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading and your encouragement. I appreciate the time it take you to read and the kudos make my heart soar.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I missed last Friday. With the holiday things got crazy. But we're back on schedule now. 
> 
> Bellamy works to start training Clarke on a few things but finds it hard to concentrate. In the end, he gives in to her.

Clarke held her hand out to Bellamy and he could do nothing less than follow her up the stairs. He loved this woman with every bit of his heart and soul; yes, he did believe he had a soul now and he realized that were it not for Clarke he might not understand that.

Could he be as accepting of his existence as she was? He had chosen this path himself to save her when Pierce Anders held her and Ben Talbot hostage, but what if that hadn’t been necessary? Talking Murphy into turning him again had been hard but eventually his friend had done it. Would he have ultimately been happy to return, if the cure had worn off naturally? That was a question he would never know the answer to. He was what he was and he did at least appreciate some aspects of his vampirism; the strength, the stamina that made him able to take care of her. Now that she was a vampire too would she need him? For awhile at least.

Her bare feet made little patter on the sleek wooden stair steps leading to their room; he watched the way she moved, lithe and fluid almost as if she floated up the steps. He had always loved and appreciated the way she moved, the gentle sway of her hips but she had a vampire’s grace now that he couldn’t deny. Her movements were fluid, no sign of human hesitant steps, she almost seemed to glide up those stairs.

She paused at the top of the stairs, watching him ascend with an angelic smile on her face belied by just the hint of fangs peeking through. She worried that she wasn’t as attractive to him now as a vamp but in reality that was very far from the truth – how it could be possible that he desired her even more than before was beyond him but it was the truth.

If he were honest with himself, completely honest he knew that part of it was because he no longer feared letting the vampire within gain control. He had kept that part of himself tucked away, under constant restraint for so long that to let go and be totally uninhibited with her was amazing. He would never have hurt her before, but to not even have to think about it, maintain that stiff control that sometimes held them both back was a gift for him, for both of them.

His mind desired her, his heart yearned for her and his body flamed with brilliance beyond control, a craving he couldn’t and wouldn’t ever be able to let go. Yes, she was his woman, his mate the vamp within cried and so he practically leapt the final steps to stand in front of her, his eyes raking her hungrily before he pulled her tightly to him so that she could understand exactly how much he wanted her, needed her.

His lips claimed hers while a low growl emanated from his throat, quickly picked up and echoed by her own answering growl. Tongues sought and found their mates and stroked and plundered until both of them were breathless. Clarke pulled herself up and wrapped her legs around his waist and the musky scent of her desire tormented his senses as he walked to the bedroom without breaking the kiss.

He laid her down on the edge of the bed, her legs spread and draped over the edge. Warm brown eyes raked over her body, from the golden curtain of hair spread over the bedspread to the tips of her pink toes that were curled with anticipation. He hastily shed his clothes and knelt before her, humbled by her allure and beauty.

Gentle hands caressed her legs, tracing with trembling strokes the graceful curves of her calves before his lips followed in their paths, nibbling and swirling along the silken trail. He lifted one agile leg slightly to delve his tongue into the sensitive skin at the bend of her knee and she hummed with the pleasure of his touch. Not neglecting the other leg, he shared his kisses and caresses with it until she was panting with need.

Bellamy’s hungry mouth searched upwards as he kissed and nipped at her soft skin until he found the fount of her desire; they both sighed with anticipation. He inhaled the sweet scent of her and licked his lips with eagerness before parting the blonde curls with gentle fingers, exposing the lush pink flesh that was wet with anticipation.

He murmured against her flesh as he planted a lingering kiss on her, “Clarke, my Clarke.”

His tongue found the honey of her irresistible and he delved into the aching folds, dipping and swirling and tasting her pleasure until they were both heady with passion and need. Bellamy traced tiny circles around the swollen nub that resided there, sending shivers of delight coursing through her body and suddenly she was over the edge, a soft throaty purr escaping her, a primitive cry of satisfaction.

Bellamy stood up and gently moved her up the bed before joining her, their bodies fitting together as if they were made for one another by the very gods themselves. Bellamy’s mouth sought hers, joining them in a burning kiss that set them both aflame with renewed passion. 

He couldn’t get enough of her, she inflamed his senses, consumed him until all there was in the world were the two of them. He slipped between her legs and buried himself in the heated depths of her body and was rewarded with a sharp gasp as she wrapped her legs around him, meeting him stroke for stroke as he plunged into her eager body.

His muscles strained to push them both to the limits of their passion, thrusting into her slick folds over and over. He was on fire, liquid rivers of molten passion flowed through him and spread into his love, his Clarke. On and on it went as they climbed the plateau together until finally they both sought the other’s neck for the moment of sweet release.

They held one another tight for long moments afterwards, both gasping for breath as they bestowed sweet kisses upon any and every inch of flesh they could reach. He felt Clarke shiver from the last vestiges of her release, and he smiled as he scooped her up and carried her into their freezer, shutting out the world and dispelling any dark thoughts. She was his; his Clarke.

):(

They awoke a few hours later in a jumble of tangled limbs and sated satisfaction. Clarke stretched, the sinewy planes of her body rippling with the movement. Bellamy stared in rapt fascination, admiring every delicious inch of her. Her body hadn’t technically changed since she had been turned, but it somehow seemed more supple and lush

She leaned up and kissed him, her baby fangs poking out between her shell – pink lips. She murmured, “Mr. Blake, you wore me out earlier.”

Bellamy grinned, one eyebrow raised in surprise. “Surely not Mrs. Blake. Remember, vampires don’t have an off switch? Your very words I might add.”

“Well, this vampire is worn out and hungry too,” she said, raking nimble fingers through the dark curls covering his chest. She scratched lightly at one deep pink nipple on his chest and was rewarded with a purr of happiness from her virile and sexy husband.

“I thought you were hungry? That isn’t going to get you any food, only another sexy tumble,” he laughed, trying to untangle himself from her. He was hungry too he realized, trying to remember when he’d fed last. Hours ago, he decided, many hours ago. 

He pushed the button to open the lid and it raised with a soft breathy ‘whoosh’ and he slid out, his feet meeting the wood of the floor with a solid thud. “C’mon, let’s go baby,” he said, holding his hand out to her.

After another toothy grin she reached for it, swinging her slim legs over the side and coming lightly to her feet beside him. Bellamy slid into a pair of scarlet silk pajama bottoms and handed her a silky robe to wrap around her body. She frowned at him, giving him a small moue of disappointment. Her bottom lip stuck out in the slightest of pouts, making her mouth look totally, completely kissable and he couldn’t resist dipping his head for a long lingering kiss. He broke away with a slight groan; the two of them would be lucky if they didn’t starve to death in the future because neither one had any resistance to the other.

“Race you down the stairs?” she dared and before she could get a single step he had already wrapped an arm around her, holding her back beside him.

“No way Clarke; just one step at a time.” He watched her disappointed expression with a quirk of an eyebrow and sighed. It was time to start training her and the idea both excited and scared him.

Clarke poured them both tall glasses of AB-, a ‘flavor’ she hadn’t tried yet. Murphy was providing them with a good variety, probably for her education. She had been amazed at how different the blood could taste because as a human it had all smelled the same. She wasn’t having the best of luck identifying each one yet, other than Bellamy’s blood which was like the sweetest of nectars to her; she couldn’t get enough of it and frankly, drinking from him was a strange mix of eroticism and comfort. It made her feel safe and loved and protected on one hand the other drove her wild with desire for him. Inwardly she shook her head, confused by it all.

As they sipped their dinner Clarke was aware of the muted sounds from outside of the house; she could hear all sorts of things like frogs croaking and the wind caressing the boughs of the towering pine trees that stood guardian on the property. Every now and again she could even catch the faint sounds of Puget Sound as the gentle swells met the shore. She stared at the glass in her hand pensively, wondering when he was going to let her explore more of the world outside the house. She guessed if she had to be housebound she couldn’t ask for a better companion. She gave him a lusty stare as sexy thoughts and images crossed her mind and she saw him stifle a lop-sided smirk and a giggle before he couldn’t hold back and laughed.

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he took a final drink from his glass and rose to rinse it out. He watched as she finished hers as well and he reached for it, his fingers brushing hers as he did so. Electricity shot through both of them making their fingers tingle in response. Both of them acknowledged the effect they had on the other with smile. 

“We need to focus on something other than sex for a while Clarke,” he told her, sitting back down at the table and focusing on her. “As wonderful as it is, there are things I need to teach you that do not involve the bedroom.” He watched as her eyes lit up in surprise and she almost squealed with delight, her body almost trembling with excitement about learning new things.

“Oh Bellamy, I’m so excited to hear that. When can we go outside? I’m going stir crazy in here.” 

“Tired of me already huh?” he teased. “I’m sorry that I haven’t started your training before, but I have to say that I’ve enjoyed the distraction.” He reached across the table and stroked her hand with his thumb, reluctant to not have that constant contact with her that they both needed.

“No, I am NOT! But I feel great and I want to learn new things Bellamy. This body is amazing! I want to run and jump and…” she trailed off, imagining running free.

“Hold on Clarke, you have a lot to learn before that. We don’t know for sure yet what abilities you have; since you have my bloodline you’ll most likely have what I have and you’ll need to learn to control them, use them for your benefit. There also could be others that I don’t have, so we’ll need to explore them.”

She was quiet for a moment, pensively chewing her lower lip as she thought about what he had said. It hadn’t occurred to her that she might be able to do things he couldn’t, but likewise, it hadn’t occurred to her that she might not have the same abilities that he did. “I guess the only way to find out is to try, huh?”

He nodded, watching her face as she mulled it all over. He waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts so that they could work together. He didn’t have long to wait.

“Is the fact that I can’t stand the cold of the freezer one of the things?” She still couldn’t handle the freezing cold and in some ways it made her feel like the outsider on the playground, the last one to be picked for the game.

“No, I think that’s probably just a preference baby. Murphy told me that many of the older ones don’t use them because they didn’t have them for so long. He also said that sometimes new turns just take a while to adapt, so don’t worry about it.”

“If the really old ones don’t use freezers they must smell horrible! Bellamy, you always said that vamps smell like decay, but I can’t smell that on you or myself for that matter. I mean, you just smell like Bellamy to me. The scent is pleasing and makes me feel safe I guess is the best way to describe it.”

He smiled at her and said, “I’m your sire, that’s sort of how it works. And your sense of smell will increase with practice as well. The first time you scent other vamps, like Tim or Mary you will understand.”

“I thought when you said that vamps smell like decay that it would be overpowering, pungent. If that is so, then I wouldn’t think you could scent anything else around them.”

“Well, every vamp, every person has their own scent Clarke; you’ll learn to separate it all out, I promise. It’s the same thing with sounds; everything around you will be loud at first and I’ll teach you how to filter out the ‘chatter’ and just focus on what you need to.”

“Will I be able to scent the past like you do?”

“Hopefully and you might be even better at it than I am. Murphy, he really can’t do that much, but he has an uncommonly sharp ability to grasp or maybe even to predict where the markets will go. I can’t do that. We are each different – some vamps are faster than others, some can jump higher, some have a more refined sense of smell or hearing or vision. We’re going to discover what your gifts are.”

“Um, like being able to taste coffee?” she teased, standing up to make a pot of.

“Clarke, you can’t possibly really taste it baby. I think it’s like a memory taste for you or something. It doesn’t hurt you and seems to make you feel better so go ahead and do it. But I’m sorry; I don’t believe that you can really taste it.”

Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment, ready to take umbrage at his words but then she just shrugged it off. She wasn’t ready to admit that he was right because she knew that she could taste it, but it also wasn’t worth a fight. She went about filling the coffee pot with water and scooping the grounds into the filter before flipping the switch to start the brew. Within a few minutes the delectable odor was permeating the kitchen and she sighed with pleasure. Maybe he couldn’t taste it but she sure could.

):(

Two days later…

They had worked on her senses for the past couple of days, discovering what she could scent by Bellamy hiding small things and letting her seek them. She had nailed that lesson, proving to be an apt pupil. Nothing wrong with her nose, that was for sure. 

She was beside herself with excitement this evening because they were going outside at dusk to give her the opportunity to explore the world around the house. She shrugged into a pair of jeans and didn’t even mind the scratchy feel of the denim as she pulled them up the slid the zipper closed. She pulled a tee shirt over her head and decided to pull her hair up into a pony tail so that it didn’t cover her ears. She had discovered that the swishing sound of it over her ears distracted her. She stared at herself in the mirror and decided that she would do and headed down the stairs, two at a time but squashing the temptation of jumping because Bellamy was watching her. 

As she caught the roll of his eyes over her pushing the rules she giggled and ran to him, kissing him before he could say anything to her. As he pulled her tight they both realized that she was trembling, the excitement overcoming her.

“Ready?” he grinned. At her nod they headed towards the door and he opened it and stepped out on the porch closely followed by Clarke.

As soon as she was outside she felt alive, and breathed in deeply. She was bombarded with sounds and scents and it rolled through her, making goose bumps rise on her skin. It was loud! The wind in the trees sounded like tympani and she heard all sorts of animals, walking, running, chattering to one another as if to remark on the beauty of the evening. It was heaven and she twitched, aching to move about and explore.

“Okay, stay with me Clarke. We’re just going to walk a bit, okay? You will begin to pick up animal scents, including blood and you have to stay focused on just walking with me.”

She nodded and they took a step forward, moving into the burgeoning twilight with graceful steps. The crackle of their footsteps on the gravel walk sounded louder than she could have imagined, grating almost and she had to concentrate hard on just staying with Bellamy and trying to tune out the sound and before long it suddenly became a part of the background noise, not nearly as irritating.

Behind all of it was the scent of Puget Sound, deliciously salty with the tang of decay to it. She had never smelled that before, that underlying odor. It tugged at her; she had to be there with it. She started moving towards the path that would take them there and Bellamy followed along, letting her guide him.

The scent was compelling her, pulling her towards the water and suddenly she let go of Bellamy’s hand and began running for the water, shedding her clothes as she made her way there.

Bellamy stared in astonishment at how quickly she had moved and stood dumbfounded for a moment before taking off at vamp speed to follow her. She was fast, incredibly fast he realized and when he got to the water’s edge she was standing waist deep in the sound, rivulets of water streaming down her body as she raised her arms skyward. It was the pose of an ancient pagan goddess, drawing down the moon to herself to use for her own delightful ritual. 

Clarke scooped the water up and let it cascade down her body as she stood under the light of a half moon. It seemed as bright as daylight to her and she marveled at the individual drops of water on her skin. She remembered the night that she had taken the BC and walked to Bellamy’s apartment. She could literally feel the air that night and it was like that now, only much more intense. A powerful feeling of sexuality washed over her and she focused on Bellamy, standing on the shore staring at her. 

“Bellamy, come to me,” she commanded, holding her hand out to him. She was quicksilver; glimmering in the moonlight.

He could only obey. It seemed it was his destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There has been so much controversy these past few days due to Bob's ex and a twitter post. I'm not sure why it is all coming out now, but she posted most of that when they broke up. What happened between them is their business and should have stayed that way as far as I'm concerned. She cheated, he didn't like it, but didn't post it all over twitter. I support Bob and Eliza - perhaps they didn't necessarily do things the right way, but it's done now. I find it hard to believe that he is such a controlling asshole, although what do I know. Anyway, there are several writers that are leaving our fandom because of it, but I will not be one of them. Bellarke forever.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friday's are hard for me to post on right now, I'll try to get back into that schedule very soon. Sorry for the delay again.
> 
> Murphy hires Jasper to help track Katrina and he and Audrey work together on the project. Wells becomes even more suspicious after he talks to Clarke and decides he needs to go to Seattle. Clarke has a 'vision' about Harper and is disturbed about the pregnancy.

Jasper struggled with a CD rom drive that should be working perfectly but for some reason wasn’t and when the phone rang, he pushed the ‘on’ button on his headset with a bit of relief.

“Jasper Kane,” he said, anxious for a break.

“Jasper? John Murphy here. I need to hire you Jasper,” he said without preamble.

“For?”

“I need you to track Katrina down for me.”

Jasper set the drive down with a clatter at that name. He personally would like to get his hands on her but thought that Murphy already had. “What the hell happened Murphy? She was supposed to be dead by now!” He gulped back his anger, hoping that he hadn’t offended Murphy.

Murphy ran a hand down over his face and grimaced. “She escaped. Went through a secret passage way and we couldn’t get to her in time. She had about 3 million dollars tucked away, but we found them and Murphy Industries just happens to have an account or two with them so for now they are on hold, but I need you to get that money back to the cleaners where it belongs and find the bitch. Do you think you can?”

“Sure; I’ll need her computer so I can track her accounts. Does she have a personal computer at her home as well? Probably find a lot more on that because it would be safer to entrust private information to.” Jasper sat back in the chair with a squeak and was already running possibilities though his mind.

“Yes, we have it; she hasn’t gone home so we grabbed the computer there for you to look at. They should be at your sub-level hideaway within a half an hour. Do you need any other help?”

They fact that she hadn’t gone home indicated to Jasper that she had other resources available to her. He suggested as much to Murphy.

“I think so too and we’re running down leads on that. No doubt she has several other identities tucked away and we have to find them. My guys are scouring her house as we speak, tearing it apart in fact.”

“Which means that whatever she had wasn’t at the house. I assume you’re watching all modes of transportation out of town? She has to move somewhere and has undoubtedly been in contact with someone.”

“Yeah, we’ve done all that and Colleen is running down every lead she, or any of the remaining cleaners can think of.”

“Do you really think they’ll help?” Jasper asked curiously.

“We executed three of them who were involved with her plans last night. If the rest of them are smart they’ll cooperate if they know anything. Plus, they want their money and they don’t get it until we find Katrina.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know when I find something.”

“This is number one priority Jasper. Everything else can wait.”

“I understand – and if it means anything I agree.” Jasper hit the end button and rolled over to his computer console and started digging.

):(

Ben parked in front of complex three at Golden Horizons Retirement Community and looked around him at the well-manicured lawn and gardens and spotted Margie sitting outside with some friends at a table in the deep shade of a large mimosa tree. He smiled when he saw they were playing cards; Margie was nothing if not a busy bee, always engaged in some sort of activity.

As he climbed out of his Lexus, he grabbed his treat for her, Ghirardelli chocolates which were her favorite. Well, if he was going to be honest any chocolate was her favorite, but she did especially like these. 

She saw him walking towards her and rose to greet him, a small tropical bird, dressed in an orange, yellow and white sundress with matching necklace and dangling earrings. She looked bright and not nearly her 84 years of age. She walked with a spring in her step and leaned up to kiss his cheek and smile at her gift.

“Ben, how wonderful to see you!” she exclaimed as she wrapped her arm around his as they walked into the building and down to room 302. She opened her door and led him in and he blinked at how bright it was in here with the floor-to-ceiling windows unshuttered in the afternoon sun.

“You look beautiful today! Bright and cheerful, as always,” he told her as she walked across the room, partially closing the blinds. Her orange sandals made a clack-clack sound as she moved and he smiled and shook his head at it all. 

“Oh, get on with you. Don’t try and flatter an old woman young man. I’ve heard it all before,” she told him, moving to the small kitchen. “Would you like some iced tea?”

“Yes, I would. It’s a hot one today.” Ben moved to the living area and saw that she had photo albums out on the coffee table and sat down, curious about what pictures she had been looking at. 

Margie brought a tray with two tall glasses of iced tea and a small plate of sliced lemons into the living room and sat it down on the coffee table, next to the open photo albums. She handed Ben a glass and spied the picture that he was looking at so closely. “Ah, that’s Octavia and Bug; we were close friends back in the day.”

“Bug?” Ben asked; there had to be a story involved in that name. 

“Yes, a nickname of course. He and Herb were in the army together, during the Korean war. Oh, I know, it wasn’t really a war, but it sure seemed like it to the men who lost their lives there. Anyway, Bug was a company clerk and would be the one to tell them it was time to ‘bug out’ or move camp and so the name stuck with him.”

“Hm. And that was his wife? She’s very pretty.” Octavia was tall, with dark hair that curled softly around her face.

“Yes, she was. Still is actually. She’s Bellamy Blake’s sister by the way.”

Ben almost dropped his glass at those words. “He had a sister? Still has a sister?”

“Yes; she looks a bit like him in that picture don’t you think? She was 6 years younger than Bellamy I think, born in 1935. Hard times back then; it was so hard for families to make ends meet but she was a blessing, always a blessing.”

“What happened to her?”

“She lives a few miles from here and I still talk to her occasionally. She very lively and spry and still has her own home. Bug is dead though, but it doesn’t get to her too much. She and I both learned that you have to just go on when your loved ones go.”

“Including Bellamy?” he asked, and then thought maybe he shouldn’t have when he saw sadness darken her eyes briefly.

“Including Bellamy. It’s so hard when you just don’t know what happened. When he met that woman he changed, drastically. It was like he was hypnotized by her. Oh, I never saw him again after he told me he was marrying her, but neither did his family much. They hated Echo Duvall; she just seemed to take over his life.” Margie took a sip of her tea as the memories rolled over her. 

“Do you think she was black-mailing him or something?” His behavior sounded strange at best. He’d walked away from everyone and everything he held dear apparently.

“I don’t know about that, but something sure changed him. His family all attended the wedding and she was so superior acting they all said. Octavia took a snapshot of them and that woman screamed at her, in front of everyone. She told everyone that they were not allowed to take any pictures and Bellamy just went along with it. It darn near broke his mother’s heart. I don’t know what all the fuss was about anyway because the picture didn’t come out; it was all blurry.”

“What happened to it?” Ben asked, curious.

“If it still exists Octavia probably has it. Bellamy came out okay and parts of her dress too, but her face is just a huge blur. The woman was very strange if you ask me, as were her family.”

“Did the Blakes ever meet any of them? Did they come to the wedding?”

“No, they didn’t. But Mr. Blake hired a private investigator to talk to them in France after she and Bellamy disappeared. Such a sight that hotel room was they say. So sad.”

“What did the investigator find out?” he asked her. He almost hated to probe any further but he needed every bit of information that he could get.

Margie frowned for a moment, as if flipping through the memories until she found what she was looking for. “They talked to a brother I think, a tall dark man who had a coal black eye. Said his name was Lance I believe but there were several brother’s there if I remember correctly. Very odd family apparently; they claimed to not know that she had gotten married and hadn’t seen her in some time.”

“Do you think Octavia would speak to me? I wouldn’t take up much of her time.”

“I’ll call her soon and ask her; Benjamin, she really doesn’t like talking about it all though. You must understand, that was a really hard time for their family.”

“I understand and if she’ll talk with me I will only ask a few questions. I wouldn’t want to cause her any pain.”

Margie nodded and they switched the conversation to other things, his job and his father’s hopes for him to run for office in the future, something he was not interested in. An hour later it was time for him to go and as she walked him to the door she felt sad. She loved his visits and didn’t see him often enough. And he always had questions about Bellamy and those questions always stirred up memories that hurt.

At the door he kissed her softly wrinkled cheek and held her close for a moment in a warm hug. Margie watched him walk down the hallway, his steps rapid and light on the tiled hallway. When he rounded the corner to head outside she closed the door and spied the box of chocolates on the table! Lordy, she’d forgotten all about them. It didn’t take her long to open the box and pop a piece of heaven into her mouth. 

When life gets hard, chocolate was the remedy. She firmly believed that!

):(

Clarke called Harper and waited impatiently while the call connected. When Harper answered she let out a sigh of relief. But the relief didn’t last long when she heard Harper’s voice.

“Harper, what’s wrong?” Clarke was bristling with anxiety because she knew that something was wrong, really wrong.

“Hi Clarkey. I’m okay, just uncomfortable. I am so ready for this baby to be born. How are you?”

Clarke doubted what Harper said but she also didn’t want to upset her anymore so they chatted about other things; Monty getting the nursery ready and what the baby would wear home for the hospital. The more they talked the worse Clarke’s anxiety got until by the time they got off she was close to panic. As she said goodbye Bellamy watched her carefully, aware that something was terribly wrong.

“I can’t explain it Bellamy; it’s just this feeling I have.”

Bellamy was quiet for a moment, thinking about Clarke’s instincts and how good they usually were. “Okay baby close your eyes for a moment and picture Harper in your mind. Just focus on her and breathe deeply.”

“Breathe? Why?” she asked curious, since they didn’t need to.

“It just helps, trust me.”

She closed her eyes and imagined Harper in her home. She saw her sitting in the recliner, feet up since they were so swollen. Her face was swollen and red as well, blotchy looking too. She was wearing a rust colored tee shirt that said, ‘Yes sir, that’s my baby’ with an arrow pointing to her baby bump. Clarke tried to follow the thoughts and saw Harper crying at the hospital, with Monty by her side. There was something wrong with the baby, the cord was around his neck and they were doing an emergency c-section. Her eyes popped open and she let out a cry, the pain of it all overwhelming her.

Bellamy was at her side instantly, holding her close. “What’s wrong Clarke?”

“I – I saw her Bellamy,” she said, telling him exactly what she saw. “It was horrible, she was in so much pain and they were both so scared. But I saw her Bellamy, sitting in the chair at their house, with that tee shirt.”

“Do you know if Harper has a camera on her computer? Maybe you two could Skype; that way you would both get to see the other and you might relax a bit. Let’s call her back and ask, okay?”

Clarke nodded, trying to get control of her emotions before she spoke to Harper again. She was sure it was just an imaginary image, but it would be good to see Harper. She hit redial on her phone and it rang a few times before Monty picked up.

“Monty? I was calling to speak to Harper again. Bellamy had an idea and we thought we’d find out if it would work.” She explained to Monty about the Skype idea and he loved it.

“Yes, we have a camera on the computer. I often Skype in to work.”

Clarke put the call on speaker phone and the three of them discussed details. Finally, Clarke asked where Harper was.

“She went in to change her tee shirt. She spilled some Egg Drop soup on it,” he said with a giggle. “It’s hard to miss that belly!”

An eerie feeling came over Clarke and she had to ask. “What shirt was she wearing Monty?”

“It’s one her mom gave her, it says ‘Yes sir, that’s my baby’ on it. It’s one of her favorites.”

Clarke looked at Bellamy, panic showing clearly in her eyes. The men talked about the Skype project and when Harper got back, she joined in the conversation happily, eager to try to the new idea. They planned a call for the next evening and when they ended the call Clarke burst into tears.

Bellamy was speechless as he contemplated what this meant.

):(

“Lucy, I’m home!” Jasper declared as he walked into the house in his best imitation of Ricky Ricardo. He sat his overnight bag on the couch and headed to the den to place the bag carrying his laptop and Katrina’s on the desk. He went into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Audie, his pet name for her and leaned down to seal their lips in a warm kiss.

“Um, delicious!” he declared, licking his lips. “What are you making for your dinner?”

“Chicken salad,” she told him, stirring it all together. She pulled a croissant out and sliced it open before piling it high with the salad. When that was done she grabbed a glass and poured his dinner into it and then carried it and her plate to the table. Jasper joined her and they both enjoyed their separate meals for a moment.

Jasper told her about working for Murphy and that he was having problems with Katrina’s computer. 

“It has a separately partitioned hard drive, password protected and it also has a bug in it- I think if you try to break into it, it will wipe itself.”

“Wow, she must have had some really knowledgeable help with that. I’ve got that code breaker program on my computer; we could piggy back the laptop to it and see what we get.”

“That’s what I hoped you’d say and just another one of the many reasons why I love you.” He took another drink of his dinner and then a deep breath; he was afraid to broach the next subject but it had to be done. No, he _wanted_ it to be done!

He wanted to live with her. Things were good now, but he spent his nights here with her and then went to his place in the morning and caught a few hours freezer time and then worked. This place wasn’t big enough to hide the freezer anywhere and his place, well, the upstairs was nice but he wanted something that was just theirs. He explained all that to her and carefully watched her face for her reaction.

“You want to live with me Jasper?” she asked, almost afraid she had misunderstood. She wanted that very badly and couldn’t believe that he had brought it up first. She bit her lip and looked at the chicken salad sandwich that she held mid-air as she prepared to take a bite.

In truth he wanted to marry her, but one step at a time. Forever was a long time and when she really found out what a complete and total geek he was she might change her mind. He looked into her beautiful brown eyes and smiled before he spoke.

“Yes, I want to live with you. This place isn’t big enough though Audie and my place, well it won’t do either. I thought maybe we’d talk to Marcus and see if he could build us a place, somewhere that we plan together – a place that would be all ours.”

She burst into tears at his words; he’d evidently put a lot of thought into it and that made her so happy. One look at his face and she realized that he was reading the tears incorrectly; he thought she was unhappy. Men!

“Jasper, I’m crying because I’m so happy! I’ve got money from Mom and Dad’s estate that is just sitting there and if we sell this place there should be plenty of money for whatever we want.” She knew that he didn’t have much; all it took was one look at the dismal basement of his to understand that.

“Whoa, wait a minute, I mean that sounds good, but I’ve got money to contribute too. My parents estate left me pretty well off; I mean, I live in that basement and don’t really have much overhead, so the money is just sitting in the bank. I’m not rich, but I’ve got money too Audie.”

If she was surprised by his words she did her best not to show it. He lived like he didn’t have two nickels to rub together and here he was telling her he had money socked away too. It surprised her but didn’t really matter in the end. They would put their money together to build a house, their home. She got up and carried the plate and glass to the sink and rinsed them before tucking both of them into the dishwasher. “Okay then Jasper, we pool our money and build our home. I can’t wait!”

After that she got out the cat food and poured it into the boy’s dishes because she knew that they would be in and wanting their dinner before too long. At the rattling of the sack first Plato, followed by Travis came through the kitty door. They were the best of buddies now and she knew that Plato would really miss Travis when Bellamy and Clarke got home from Seattle. She leaned against the counter and watched them both eat their dinner with a smile on her face.

“So, you uh, want me to call Marcus tomorrow and see about getting together to discuss the house?” he asked, shyly watching her. He felt self-conscious for some reason but decided it was because they had taken a huge step forward and he was so excited about it.

Life was so much better than he ever thought it could be. Suddenly, forever seemed pretty cool too, as long as he had Audie by his side.

):(

Wells hung up the phone after talking to Clarke for the past 15 minutes. His internal bullshit bells were clanging like a runaway claxon. She was lying; he didn’t know why but she was definitely lying about why she was in Seattle, if that is where she really was. He ran a hand through his hair and dragged it down his face, exasperated with the situation. He picked up his beer and tipped it up, only to realize the bottle was empty. He sat it down on the table beside the chair and debated about whether or not to get another one but Clarke was still on his mind, so he forgot about it.

He needed to pay a visit to Raven tomorrow and see what she had to say. That was a whole different proposition thought because Raven was a master at hiding things. Oh, she had her tells but Raven would carry secrets to her death he knew. What the hell was the big deal anyway? So, Clarke and Bellamy decided they needed a little alone time? They were newlyweds, it was to be expected. They had concocted this elaborate story for whose benefit anyway? Ben’s? What did her parents know he wondered? 

And he had to ask himself why the hell it mattered to him so much anyway? Bellamy would never hurt her that much was for sure. Did someone else hurt her? Is that what they are hiding, why she had to get away from family and friends? Had she been? Was she? He intended to find out.

A trip to Seattle suddenly seemed like a great idea.

):(

Jasper and Audrey were working with the computers, trying to get into the hard drive on Katrina’s computer when Travis jumped up onto Jasper’s lap and rubbed his head against his chest, wanting to be petted. Plato, not to be outdone launched himself onto Jasper’s lap as well, waiting for his scratches.

Jasper chuckled as both hands petted a cat. This was such a difference from when he thought Travis hated him. The kitty used every opportunity to get some attention and Jasper decided he liked it.

Sometimes he still thought that Travis had overly large fangs, but he had decided that it was just an individual thing with cats, like ears or tails. Some were bigger than others – Travis had well-endowed fangs, that’s all.

The code breaker program was running with Audrey closely monitoring it. Suddenly a small beep signaled success and she grinned at him triumphantly. “Got it. We’re in Jasper!”

He leaned over both cats and kissed her, excited to see what they found. There was information about several other identities, in different cities and two more bank accounts. After the code breaker gained them access to the accounts they looked at the current activity on each account. One, in Switzerland had been emptied this morning; about 25,000 dollars had been in it. The second one was in the Cayman Islands like some of the others that had been found but this one held almost 3 million dollars. She had accessed the account this morning as well, but didn’t take out any money. Obviously this was her reserve.

“Should we change her password?” Audrey asked.

“Yep, let’s do it. Something very random, that isn’t easily broken. And hey, here are her secret questions, let’s change them too.”

Audrey set to work and soon the task was done. They looked at one another with satisfied smiles and giggles. “I’d better call Murphy and let him know what we found,” he told her, watching her stroke Plato’s back. Her fingers combed through the sleek tan fur and there was something very sexy about it. He leaned over the cats and kissed her again, longer this time and felt her melt against him, to the protests of the cats.

“Mm, that was nice,” she murmured.

“Yes, it was. Maybe I can call Murphy later…”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I got the chance to post this today! I hate being off schedule! I'm kind of a nerd about it. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I must say again, thanks to everyone who continues with this story. Love you all.
> 
> Jasper makes a decision about Audrey that is going to require a bit of action on his part. The two of them are still working on finding Katrina. A new character enters the picture; Tango, aka Lord Tanglewood, a person from Murphy's past. Clarke is still working on learning about her new senses and gets a bit of a surprise from Bellamy that turns into a dangerous situation.

Jasper held Audrey after they had made love. It still amazed him, the beauty of the act that he and Audie shared. It imprinted itself into his very soul, every caress, each tender kiss, they were a part of him now and he knew that he would surely die of wasted depravation without her in his life. 

Would he scare her if he asked her to marry him already? He knew that she was his mate; her sweet essence had indelibly marked him as hers. Why was he so sure? Most vampires he knew were single, not wanting to entangle their lives with anyone else. Especially a human, which brought a whole other set of issues he understood. Being a vampire was hard enough without dragging a mate along with you, but when you knew that it was right, why not go for it.

Bellamy had found his Clarke early on and had kept her safe until the time was right for them and Jasper instinctively knew that they would be together forever. On the human side of things, Marcus waited for years to convince Abby to marry him, staying quietly in the background of her life but always making sure she was safe. That was what love was and he knew that it was what he felt for Audie. 

Love was steady, willing to care no matter what the obstacles were and vampirism presented a hell of an obstacle. Still, she loved him and he knew that. Maybe he needed to go and do a little shopping for a ring for her. Yes, that was what he would do. 

But first he needed to call Murphy. He groaned at the thought and Audrey stirred beside him, reaching up to caress the side of his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

“I need to call Murphy. I just hate to break the spell. I love having you next to me. I love you Audie; I didn’t ever think I would find someone like you who would love me, geek and all.” He looked down at her and saw her smile up at him in response.

“You are an idiot sometimes Jasper,” she laughed. “I’m a worse geek than you are and we were meant to be together always. I know it in here,” she said, touching her heart.

He traced his fingers over hers; stroking the very place her fingers had and felt her heart beating steadily with the sincerity of her words. It made his own heart kick out an extra beat or two he realized with joy.

Yes, he needed to get that ring pretty quickly.

):(

Clarke’s call was answered on the first ring and the excited voice on the other end made her smile a mile wide.

“Clarkey, oh baby, how are you?” Abby asked. “Are you feeling well?”

“Mom, I’m a vampire for heaven’s sake, I feel awesome!” she answered. “Seriously, I’m good. What about you? How are my brother and his mysterious sidekick doing?”

“Kicking my sides! Well, moving around a lot anyway. But that’s a good thing really. When we first discovered we were pregnant neither one of us even suspected that it could be twins. Clarke, I don’t know if I’m prepared for this, seriously!” Abby stated with a slight quiver to her voice.

Clarke closed her eyes for a moment and tried to see what might happen, but it was all blank. She wondered if it were just a fluke that she saw Harper in that shirt and problems with the birth. But she knew it wasn’t – she’d never before seen that shirt. She tried to shake the emotion of it all off and said, “Well, even if you’re not I’d bet that Marcus is. He is, isn’t he?” she laughed.

“Yes he is. We have two cribs, two changing tables, and two dressers, two of everything. We just don’t know what the second baby is yet so we haven’t bought many clothes. All the furniture is put together and ready to go too. If the baby is a girl we have two rooms for them, although they’ll probably stay in the same room for awhile. The two bassinettes will be in our room at night. Heaven’s, I can’t even imagine dealing with 2 am feedings and diaper rash again. I’m going to be the worst mother ever,” she said, feeling every one of her 43 years. Soon to be 44 she thought.

Clarke smiled, knowing how wrong her mother was; she had been the best mother in the world, to her and Raven. Raven had been like a sponge when they were kids, always soaking up every bit of love she could get. It made Clarke sad to think how much she needed someone in her life and yet she pushed them all away. Before she got maudlin she, asked, “Have you guys talked to Jasper? I meant to call him earlier but haven’t really had a chance.”

“Yes, we have. He called a little bit ago and said he was working for Murphy, hunting for that Katrina woman who apparently escaped. And then he said he wanted to come and talk to Marcus tomorrow at the office. It was all very mysterious actually. So unlike Jasper.”

“Hm, you’re right. I hadn’t heard about Katrina either. I suppose Bellamy was trying to keep it from me, if he knows that is since I don’t know if he’s talked to Murphy today. Hey, on another subject, have you talked to Harper? She doesn’t sound very good Mom.”

“I spoke with her yesterday; she’s struggling I know. I told her to make sure Monty calls us when she goes into labor because we want to be there.”

A momentary pang struck at Clarke’s heart, knowing that she wasn’t going to be there with Harper. Hopefully the Skype thing would help. When she spoke again she sounded sad, wistful. “Mom, I’m really worried about her. I’m glad you’re going to be there, and I know that Raven is too.”

“Yes and we’ll report regularly.” Abby listened to her daughter give out a long sigh and couldn’t help worrying about her. “Clarke, are you alright? Really?”

“Yes, Mom, I really am. It’s amazing how good I feel. Please don’t worry about me.” Her words were sincere; she didn’t want her mom to worry about her.

“Okay, I’m glad to hear it,” Abby replied, and the conversation changed to lighter topics until they ended the call a half an hour later.

When she hung up the phone Abby sighed deeply and ran her hands over her burgeoning belly, feeling a bit of movement with the babies. Marcus heard her and was immediately at her side, concern written starkly on his face, his deep brown eyes meeting hers in question.

“I’m fine honey, and so are the babies. It’s Clarke I’m concerned about. She says she’s fine, but there is something bothering her I could tell.”

“Abby, you’re her mother and you’re always going to worry about her. What has happened to her is extraordinary and it will be an adjustment for everyone. You’re fretting because you want to see her, to visually see that she is alright. Bellamy emailed me earlier with an idea I think you might like.”

“What? Can we go and see her? Please tell me that’s it?

“Well, no, but you can still see her. He’s going to set Skype up on their computer and I’m going to do it here, with Jasper’s help of course and then you two can talk and see one another at the same time. How does that sound?”

“Oh Marcus, that would be wonderful. You and Bellamy are just the best!” She leaned up and kissed him, his warm mouth capturing hers until her toes were tingling.

“You ready for bed?” he asked, his eyes twinkling, a sexy smile playing on his lips. He stood up and held a hand out to her and helped her to get up. The walk to the bedroom took too long.

But the reward was well worth it all.

):(

Murphy listened to Jasper as he explained what they had found and did with Katrina’s reserve account, but it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. Cutting her funds off didn’t find her and that’s what he wanted most, to find her and make that bitch pay excruciatingly for what she had done.

“Will the alternate ID’s help at all Jasper?” he asked. “Make sure you have them completely covered.

“Maybe, depends on how desperate she is but since her bank funds are cut off she’s probably going to be really cautious about using any of the established ones. I’ve got messages out to all the folks around the country that help people relocate. That might help,” Jasper told him, understanding Murphy’s impatience.

“Yes, especially if you let everyone know that there is a 5 million dollar price tag on her head – if I catch her and she’s alive. How many people do quality work in the US Jasper? I mean, if she’s going to try to get out of the country it has to be quality, official looking work.”

“There are only a half dozen or so Murphy, but have you considered that she might have already headed into Mexico? That would be so much harder to track you know; she could disappear into Central America and beyond and that just complicates everything. We know that the money from the bank in Switzerland was transferred to a bank here and then she closed that account. She was still here at that point, but the fact that she closed that account would tell me that she has another bank set up somewhere for the Cayman Island bank money. We’re running checks on all US banks with her name and the alternate ID’s. I have a friend at Homeland Security, I’ll see if they have anything useful. ”

“Hm, you could be right about her heading south. I’ll contact Ryder and have him get with you about that. But in the meantime put the bounty out on her, not only to the counterfeiters, but to vamp bounty hunters and any other sleazy low-life that might be interested. Don’t worry about trying to hide it – if she knows she’s a wanted woman she’ll get nervous and sooner or later that means she’ll make a mistake.”

They ended the call and Murphy checked his watch; it was almost noon and he needed to head to the airport because Tango would be landing in a half an hour or so and that he looked forward to. It had been too long since he’d seen that died-in-the-wool Brit. The thought of some of their escapades brought a lop-sided grin to his face. 

At the airport Murphy waited in the cool comfort of the air-conditioned car as the small jet landed and taxied to the hangar. When the door opened, and the steps were let down Murphy climbed out of the limo and watched as Tango disembarked. He was dressed head to toe in black leather and Murphy laughed; evidently, he was already slipping into his new role.

“Tango,” he said, holding out his hand as Tango approached. He took it and shook it briefly before pulling Murphy to him in a bear hug. “Hey, careful of the Armani!”

“Armani? Quite dandified don’t you think? Goodness, I might rumple you!” he teased his old friend. “Very smart, I might add.”

“Come on, they’re unloading your luggage now. Let’s have a drink in the car while they get it stowed away in the trunk and then I’ll take you to the condo I’ve arranged for you. You’ll like it I’m sure!”

“Bloody well better come with liquid refreshment Murphy!”

“Oh, it does,” Murphy said, happy to see his friend.

):(

Wells punched the button for the 37th floor in the Billings Market building where the offices of King International were located. His hands rested in his pockets and he jingled the change in one of them while the elevator climbed, making occasional stops along the way. When the ding sounded and the doors opened he stepped forward onto a floor that was bustling with activity. It was a semi-frantic and yet controlled environment that was fascinating to watch. At the station it was frantic and loud and sometimes deafening. Big difference here.

Even the décor was calming he noticed; sky blue and a creamy color were prominent and provided a soothing backdrop for the people who manned the main floor cubicles and the offices that lined the perimeter.

He walked to the main desk and leaned slightly on the counter and was greeted by a young man whose attire was flawless as was his friendly attitude. “Welcome to King International sir. How may I help you?” he inquired.

“I’m looked for Raven, um, Raven Reyes that is. Is she available?”

“May I say who is inquiring?” he asked politely.

“Yes, please tell her that Wells Jaha would like to see her.” 

“Certainly sir, one moment.”

Wells looked around as the young man punched a button on the phone console and spoke to Raven. He quickly hung up and said, “Ms. Reyes will be right with you sir.”

“Thank you,” Wells said. It only took a moment for Raven to emerge from one of the corner offices, a wide smile on her face. 

It always amazed Wells when he saw Raven like this, all dressed up for business. She hardly resembled the college girl who loved to party and drove the boy’s crazy for her. He shook his head as if to dispel that image and held his hand out to her as she approached him.

“Wells, I’m so happy to see you!” she said with a bit more enthusiasm than she felt. This had to be about Clarke and she hoped she had the right answers or the ability to bluff her way through them. “Come on back to my office. Would you like some coffee?” At his negative nod she turned and headed back the way she came, walking down the long and wide aisle and then turned to the right where her office was.

It was quite impressive Wells thought. He had never been up here before and he saw that Raven had one of the prime offices, corner with floor to ceiling windows that faced west and south; he knew the views would be spectacular at sunset.

Her office was very much Raven, muted off-white shades with accents of bright color to draw the eyes; very minimalistic and yet comfortable at the same time. She moved to sit on the white leather couch and indicated he should sit there as well. He sank down onto the butter soft leather with a silent sigh, it was wonderfully comfortable and he knew it had cost a fortune. He wondered if King paid for the decorations for the office or Raven did.

Raven leaned back and crossed her legs in a relaxed posture; the expensive vivid red suit was surely designer, although he didn’t know who and it was accented by red suede pumps that were business like and yet a bit sassy too, a combination many women couldn’t pull off. And yet Raven easily did. Even her jewelry was classy, enough to highlight her outfit but not flashy at all. All silver too, or white gold maybe he thought with a shrug.

Raven looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to question her because she knew that he would. She seemed at ease she thought but inwardly she was quaking. Good thing she wasn’t trying to hold a cup of coffee because he would surely see her hand trembling. He knew her well, at least he knew the college Raven well she knew but not so much now and that could be an advantage. At least she hoped it would be. She’d learned a whole lot about hiding things, a necessity when you’re friends with so many vampires. The words suddenly struck her as funny, saying that she was friends of so many vampires and she realized that it was true. A sobering thought indeed she admitted. She let out a soft laugh and Wells looked at her curiously.

His eyebrows lifted, opening his brown eyes wider and it made him look just that much handsomer. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh, nothing really. I was just remembering that time at the beach party, when we all should have been studying for mid-terms and you and Rondel thought you’d play macho men and take a dive off those rocks; into ice cold water I might add,” she laughed.

“Well, it was March you know, the Pacific was pretty chilly,” he smiled at the memory. It wasn’t really a wild thing, but it had been fun later, and when Clarke used her body to heat his, man did that work well. It was funny, those were such great memories and yet there were no pangs of regret over what didn’t happen for them. He somehow knew now as he did then that they were not meant to be together.

He stood up and walked around the room, looking out the windows at the traffic moving far below. Not a single sound could be heard up this far; it was peaceful, tranquil. He turned to look at Raven, still sitting comfortably and peacefully on the couch, watching him with inquiring eyes. His hand had migrated back into his pocket and he stood there for a moment, listening to the rattle of coins as his fingers moved through them.

“Raven, I’m worried about Clarke; about why she and Bellamy just disappeared like that,” he said, just spitting it out.

Before she could open her mouth there was a brief knock on her door and then it opened and Cami stepped in. When she saw Raven had a guest she apologized for the interruption.

“So sorry. Raven, I have the equipment review for Murphy Industries, thought you might want to look it over.”

“Yes, thank you. Cami, do you remember Wells Jaha? He was at Bellamy and Clarke’s wedding.”

She did indeed and he looked as good here as he did there. She smiled demurely at him and walked forward, holding out her hand to shake his. “Yes of course I do. How are you Mr. Jaha? Or actually, its Lieutenant Jaha isn’t it?”

Wells stepped forward, meeting her halfway and returned her smile as he held out his hand to her. When they shook, he realized her hand felt almost icy and he glanced down at it and then up to her face; a very beautiful face but also a very pale face. Another one he realized; they seemed to be everywhere. Vampires; Josh was right. There couldn’t be any other explanation. He looked back up at her face, hoping his own didn’t show what he was feeling and answered, “Wells, please. That will do fine.”

“Wells then,” she smiled. Her long lashes swept down over her cheeks, again a very modest gesture and he realized that even though she was very beautiful, she was shy. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. Raven, let me know what you think when you have a chance?” With Raven’s nod she left as quickly as she could. Wells Jaha made her stomach flutter and that wasn’t a good thing for a woman who hadn’t been involved with a man for many, many years.

As the door closed quietly Raven realized that Wells was waiting for an answer to his question. “Wells, she is perfectly fine. Newlyweds, you know? Probably getting busy on every surface of the house up there!” she said with a laugh.

“Yeah, but it was very sudden, don’t you think?” he probed.

She shrugged and said, “I was with her the night they left. To me it looked like two people who couldn’t keep their hands off of one another. Bellamy carried her onto the helicopter that took them to the airport.” _That much was true at least_.

“Helicopter? Wow,” he said, surprised to hear that.

“Yes, John Murphy arranged it. He was there with us. His jet took them to Seattle.” She told herself to just stick to the truth as much as she could. She hated lying to Wells.

Wells digested the information with a slight frown. “But it was just so sudden wasn’t it? I mean, totally spur of the moment don’t you think?”

“I don’t really know what they might have been planning Wells; I didn’t ask,” she said with a shrug. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and met his eyes, hoping that it would be enough.

“Hm, well okay; if you really think she is okay. It just doesn’t seem like Clarke; I mean the leaving and then suddenly quitting her job part. I know that she is impetuous, always has been but this is extreme even for Clarke.”

“Well, that IS our Clarke you know. Seriously Wells, I wouldn’t worry. She’s fine,” Raven declared. 

“Okay then,” he said, smiling at her. She was lying, about some of it anyway. She knew WHY they had left so suddenly, and Wells wasn’t going to stop until he found out too. “Well, I’ve got to get busy and go arrest some bad guys Raven.” He walked to her as she stood up and straightened her skirt, smoothing it into place. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and grinned at her. “Hey, let’s go and catch some lunch someday soon okay? Catch up on old times?”

“Sounds good. Call me when you have some free time. But none of those taco stands you love to frequent Wells,” she laughed, wagging a finger at him. “A real restaurant, where we can sit down!”

“My, my, aren’t you all fancy nowadays,” he laughed as he opened the door and stepped out into the aisle. “See you soon Raven.”

“Yeah Wells, see you.” She watched him walk to the elevators and waved as he turned to her as the doors opened. A second later he was inside and the doors swept shut, taking him from her view. She could only hope that she had convinced him.

Down in the lobby Wells noticed a coffee kiosk and headed over, deciding that he needed a nice, strong cup before heading back to the precinct. He placed his order and while he waited he noticed Cami standing with a cup in her hand, blowing gently on it and reading the headlines on the monitor that was at the end of the kiosk. He picked up his cup and headed over to where she was standing and said, “Well, you’re a coffee fan too huh?”

She turned and looked at him, a soft smile spreading across her face. “Yes, addicted to it I’m afraid. At least 2 or 3 cups a day.”

“You call that an addiction? Lady, try a dozen or more! It’s protocol for a cop.”

She laughed and said, “I thought that was donuts?” He loved the way her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

“That’s the old cops,” he chided, his grin making her belly tighten with a totally foreign feeling. “Do you ever drink anything else?” he asked and watched her eyes widen in shock, or maybe that was a bit of fear and he realized it was a terrible thing to say to someone he was pretty sure was a vampire.

“I – uh, I like wine,” she said and hastily looked down, hoping he hadn’t noticed how his question had shook her up.

“Well Cami, then would you like to meet me after work sometime for a glass of wine? You can pick the place,” he said, his smile reassuring and very charming.

“Yes, I would like that. How about Quigley’s Mirage, around 7, tomorrow?” She couldn’t believe how bold she was acting, but he made her mouth feel dry and her knees weak; she had to get to know him a bit better.

“Sounds perfect Cami,” he told her, meeting her blue eyes; a vibrant blue so deep they were almost sapphire. “Until then.” He smiled once more and then turned and headed out the revolving door, onto the pavement. When he cast a quick glance over his shoulder he could see her staring at him though the tempered glass wall, a smile on her face. 

Wells felt the same way. He could only hope it didn’t lead to disaster.

):(

Bellamy got the Skype connection set up and Clarke immediately called Harper, needing to see her friend. When Harper answered Clarke was appalled at how she looked. Her face was very red and puffy, as were her hands and Clarke could only imagine what her feet looked like. Still, it was good to see her but it made Clarke worry even more.

Harper seemed tired and sluggish and she shifted in her seat a great deal, obviously not comfortable in any position. She laughed about it a bit.

“Clarke, she’s a zero station which means she’s ready to make her appearance; it’s sort of like sitting on something really uncomfortable.”

“Does it hurt her; I mean is there all sorts of pressure on her?” It looked so uncomfortable for Harper – she could only imagine what it might be like for the baby.

“No, I don’t think so. But I am SO ready for her to make her appearance. Seriously ready,” she said as she tried to make a joke of it, but Clarke could see that she didn’t feel like joking. The image came to her mind again of the baby with the cord around her neck and Clarke panicked a bit.

“Harper, is she moving around a lot still? I mean, I don’t know what happens at this stage.”

“No, she’s pretty quiet actually. And you’d better start reading up on all of it since you and Bellamy are already trying for one of your own,” she smiled.

“Yeah,” Clarke said, trying to focus on something else. “I’ll probably make the world’s worst mother you know. Forget where I left the baby or something.”

“Maybe at first, but you’ll learn. Besides, I’ve watched Bellamy with Jordan and he will make up for all you lack, I can tell. He is so good with him and he adores him you know.”

“I know, it amazes me. He has so much patience; maybe a little over protective though,” she laughed, having had some personal experience with that.

They only spoke for a few more minutes; Harper was visibly worn out and when the call ended Clarke couldn’t shake the feeling that things were not alright. Did she say something to Monty? She’d sound like a lunatic, she knew. 

Bellamy had gone into the room that he had made into a home gym when he bought the house. He was lifting weights as she peeked in and thrilled to the sight of him, muscles bulging and sweat trickling down his sides. She wanted to lick it off of him and walked up behind him, running her hands over his tight abs with a sigh of pleasure.

She had learned that even though she would stay pretty much the same size as when she was turned she still needed to maintain her body so had reluctantly started working out as well. When she worked at Buzzwire there was never any time to do that, not with any type of regularity because of her erratic schedule. At the DA’s office it was better but if she were totally honest with herself (and who wanted to be really?) she had to admit that she hated doing it. She’d told Bellamy that maybe if there were a tv or something to keep her amused in there it wouldn’t be too bad. She was totally enthralled watching Bellamy, but that led to physical exercise of another type. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad right now she decided, letting her hand slip farther down his stomach. He stirred in her hand and she felt him step away and grab a towel and wipe his face before turning to her and bending to kiss her softly.

“Nuh uh, not now. I’ve got a surprise coming for you in a few minutes. I need to hit the showers. Now go ahead and get your work out in baby,” he teased, watching happily as she rolled her eyes in frustration and expelled a long breath. Even the thought of a surprise hadn’t perked her up.

Since Clarke had been turned her main preoccupation had been sex; not that he was complaining but she just looked at him and it was like a magnet pulled him to her and they were doing it anywhere and everywhere. The things and places they had discovered almost embarrassed him. Sultry, sexy, his mate brought a whole new meaning to the word sensual.

If she couldn’t have sex it suddenly occurred to her that he mentioned a surprise. “What’s my surprise?” she goaded, licking her lips and staring boldly into his chocolate brown eyes that couldn’t seem to look away from her crystalline blue ones.

He turned away from her gaze and said, “Just wait and see! That’s why they call it a surprise.” He laughed at her small huff of impatience and walked out of the room to hit the shower. 

As he showered he thought of her progress; she was amazing at what she could do and he knew that there was still so much they hadn’t discovered yet. Her ability to scent was better than his – a lot better and would develop even more. He wasn’t sure what the deal with Harper was though; it seemed precognitive and that wasn’t an ability that any vamps he knew had. Sure, he could sometime scent brief glimpses of the future but what she had done was very difficult. It had sort of blown him away when it happened and it was worrying her tremendously. She was right about the shirt, was she right about the rest? She tried to pick up something from her mom, but nothing came to her which could mean a lot or nothing at all.

In a few days he was going to teach her to reach out with her senses to feel what was going on, not just scent it. Could she scent the past as he did? That also wasn’t known yet, but they’d get to it. He didn’t doubt that she would be great at it – she had excelled at everything else so far. 

He couldn’t seem to resist her; vampire Clarke filled his senses and his head and his heart until he wasn’t aware of anything else around him and that could prove dangerous in some situations. He was so focused on her when she was around that he lost himself and felt like a gauche school boy. He hadn’t known that making love with someone could be so completely consuming and sometimes it was all he could think about. 

Yes, they both had a lot to learn and understand. Each day with her was a gift; her love and devotion couldn’t be measured by any emotion Bellamy had ever had. He prayed that it never changed. 

As he finished getting dressed he heard a vehicle pull up out front and knew that Clarke’s surprise had arrived. He hurried downstairs just in time to see Clarke open the door and squeal with delight as she stood aside so that Tim and Mary could enter. 

When he walked into the living room he saw her greeting them with enthusiasm; these were the first people she had seen since she had been turned and while he hated to think that she might be bored with him, everyone deserved a distraction. Plus, the surprise was still in the truck.

He stepped forward and shook Tim’s hand and then pulled Mary to him in a warm hug and kissed her on the cheek. That’s when a feeling like someone stabbing him in the back overcame him and Clarke jumped in between them, growling loudly. She pushed them apart and stared at him, her eyes glowing the most brilliant silver blue he had ever seen. She turned to Mary and said, “MINE” and Mary backed up a step, cautious of this side of Clarke.

“Clarke, its Mary baby. We’ve been friends for years, you know that. Think about it Clarke.” Bellamy watched her strain to get her emotions under cover; he saw her try to breathe and calm down. Every second felt like a minute as she tried to control her inner vamp. Low growls still occasionally emanated from her throat but gradually her posture relaxed a bit and her eyes returned to their usual clear blue. 

Suddenly, as if realizing what had just happened, tears flooded her eyes and she hung her head in shame. She lifted her head and looked at Mary, her eyes wounded and filled with shame. “Mary, I’m so sorry; I don’t know what…I don’t understand,” she finished.

Mary was still a bit wary of her but she understood what it felt like with your mate and she also clearly remembered how possessive a newly turned vamp could be. She smiled at Clarke and murmured, “I understand Clarke. It won’t always be like this, really it won’t.”

Clarke nodded, her face a mask of misery and finally ran upstairs, shame taking control of her. Bellamy started to go upstairs and Mary laid a hand on his arm and urged, “No Bellamy, give her a few minutes and then I’ll talk to her. It will be alright, I promise.”

Tim had watched all of it closely; he knew that his mate had never really been in any kind of jeopardy and he also knew how bad Clarke would feel. “Mary is right Bellamy; she will need to work this out and Mary is the one to help her with it. Let it be. Besides, you need to help me get those two huge television sets out of the truck. I have to say though, I sure liked what I saw in that store; I may have to go and buy one of those for Mary and I so she can watch her soap operas on it.” He was rewarded by a smack on his behind by his wife as he headed out the door.’

“More like so you can watch football on it old man. Men…” She rolled her eyes as they headed outside and then looked up the stairs. Clarke wasn’t crying any longer, so it was now or never. Time to help the young one adapt because heaven help her, Bellamy just didn’t understand!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots going on in this chapter. Some yummy Murven goodness, a new baby Clarke and Bellamy watch on the computer as Clarke freaks out about whether or not the birth would go well. Her prediction hit dead on and that made her really scared. Luca gets a mysterious package and a call to go with it.

Chapter 11

Murphy knocked on Raven’s door and while he waited for her to answer he was a bit surprised to realize that he was nervous about it. He hadn’t come to her apartment for a few days because he was afraid she was growing tired of his presence there for the nightly phone calls from Bellamy and Clarke. He didn’t understand her at all; she was a master at hiding what she was thinking or feeling. He’d bet she was a killer at poker.

Vampires have to master keeping secrets but most humans just weren’t that adept at it. They say they can keep a secret, but in the end, very few can. It was one of the reasons that he respected Clarke so much; she had kept the secret no matter what. That was proving difficult in her relations with the third member of the three musketeers as he had dubbed Clarke, Raven and Harper in his mind. He almost envied Bellamy, watching them all together as kids because he knew that those three must have given Abby and probably Marcus more than a few gray hairs.

Clarke was Bellamy’s problem and Raven? Well, she was her own problem he guessed and for some reason that thought bothered him. She was the most overly independent, infuriating and amusing woman he had ever known. He’d pity the poor guy who ended up with her, that was for sure.

So why did he feel so disappointed that she didn’t like _him_?

She was an enigma; not swayed by money and sometimes she looked at you as if she could tell every secret you had, however deeply they were buried in the darkness of your heart. She had her own secrets, he knew that much about her and he meant to learn them. It couldn’t be good for her to keep it all bottled up inside of her. He was on a mission; discover what made Raven tick.

When she opened the door it startled him; he hadn’t even heard her approach it. She stood there looking at him with well-defined (and beautiful he thought) eyebrows arched and just the hint of a smile playing at one of the corners of her incredibly lush lips. She leaned against the door jamb, her arms folded across her chest, waiting for him to speak.

“Hi Raven,” he began and then felt strangely tongue tied, faltering as he tried to choose his next words.

“Murphy,” she said, still waiting.

“I – uh, may I come in?” He never had to ask to come in to someone’s house. It felt awkward and he normally loved awkward. Why was this so hard?

Wordlessly she stepped aside, completely aware of his discomfort. She swore that she saw some sweat beading his upper lip; it should amuse her, but she almost felt guilty about it. “Have a seat Murphy. Can I offer you a drink?” she asked as she headed to the liquor cabinet. Even if he didn’t need one she certainly did. He nodded to her and she poured them both a finger of scotch and handed one to him with what she hoped was a smile, but felt more like a grimace.

Murphy had sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs, trying to look casual and relaxed, except that he was anything but. He welcomed the liquor, even if he couldn’t feel its effects. The glass she handed him was heavy, Waterford he noticed and he sipped slowly at it, letting the burn calm him a bit.

“So?” she asked, sipping from her own glass of Macallen. It was smooth and soothing and she tried to maintain an air of relaxed composure as she waited to see what he had to say. For god’s sake, say something her mind screamed.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come to dinner at my house tomorrow. It seems as if I’m always intruding on you here, so I thought possibly you might enjoy it. I have a wonderful chef you know.”

“The one who cooks for you meals on heels you mean? Yes, I remember he was quite good.” The night Clarke had been turned; as much as she would like to forget it was still starkly vivid in her head. She had been thankful to stay at Murphy’s that night. “So, what’s he cooking for dinner?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Anything you’d like Raven,” he said and then felt embarrassed at how sincere he’d sounded. _Get a grip Murphy!_

“Well, whatever he is preparing for your, um, ladies would be fine. I’ll come directly from work, so I should be there, shall we say, 7-ish?” 

He nodded and took another sip of his scotch, afraid to drink it too fast; afraid this conversation would be over if he did. _What the hell is up with that?_

He was almost startled when her phone rang and he watched as she uncrossed her long legs and went to answer it. For such a small girl she had really long, attractive legs he realized. Or maybe just the tiny little shorts she was wearing made them look that way. He was suddenly aware of urgency in her voice as she spoke on the phone.

“Yes, I’ll be there right away Monty. Half an hour or so. Um hm, okay. Tell her I love her and I’ll call Abby. Okay, bye,” she said as she ended the call and then immediately dialed a number. “Hey Abby, this is it! Harper is on the way to the hospital.” She listened for a moment and said, “Yes, that’s the one. I’ll see you there? Okay, bye!”

“Harper is in labor I take it?” Murphy asked. 

Raven nodded and then looked down at her bare legs. I have to change; I’ll only be a moment.”

It literally didn’t take her much more than a moment before she came back into the room, skinny jeans accenting her lovely legs to their best. She had also pulled on a pair of sandals and was in the process of grabbing her purse and keys when Murphy said, “Do you think they’d mind if I came along?”

If Raven was totally surprised at his words, she covered it well. “I suppose not. But why would you want to?”

“I like Harper and Monty. I do care if she’s alright you know.”

Raven shrugged as she closed the door behind them and punched a code into the alarm box. “Suit yourself Murphy,” she said as she headed to the elevator, Murphy following quickly behind her.

In the parking garage she headed to the Maserati and Murphy said, “Why don’t you ride with me? I can bring you home later as well Raven.”

“We don’t have any idea how long this is going to take Murphy. It could be morning for all we know.”

“Well, I am a night person after all,” he quipped and was finally rewarded by a smile.

“You are indeed! Alright, lead on MacDuff!”

):(

Clarke was excitedly watching as Tim and Bellamy got the new 50” flat screen tv installed in the living room. While buying the tv for the workout room Bellamy had decided to update the old tv in the living room. This one was simple; just hook it up to the satellite dish and go. The new tv required a visit by the dish company and that meant that Clarke couldn’t be here, a problem he knew.

He might have been surprised by Clarke’s reaction to Mary earlier, but then again, this was Clarke and even as a human she had a bit of a problem with jealousy, although she would _never_ admit it. Still, both women had chatted upstairs and seemed to be getting along quite well and he hoped that Clarke could go to Mary’s while the satellite guy was here. 

Clarke watched with excitement as Bellamy and Tim mounted the new tv. Normally, she didn’t watch much tv, but because of her hated exile right now she spent far too much time in front of the boob tube. This one would be wonderful for movies too she thought and couldn’t wait to see some of her favorites. That is if she had them here; she decided then and there that an internet shopping spree was in order. She laughed as Mary told Tim that he had better be planning on putting one of these in their house.

Mary was quite a woman Clarke had decided when the woman had come upstairs to speak with Clarke after she had wanted to rip the woman’s throat out. That had scared Clarke; what if she couldn’t learn to control that impulse? Every woman she knew would be seen as a threat and that would be horrible to deal with.

This was an aspect of her turning that she had never anticipated. She had no control of her feelings around Bellamy. She realized that she wanted him, needed him physically, but this protecting her mate characteristic was going to take some management. She wasn’t normally a jealous person after all, why did it come out so strongly now?

Mary had explained it all to her, the connections between a fledgling and sire and to complicate that, between husband and wife were incredibly strong. Mary said she had felt the same around Tim when he first turned her and she would even get jealous when he spent so much time trapping for furs that supported them for a long while. And when they went to trading posts it was agony for her, but she learned to control it and was confident that Clarke would too she told her.

And so, Clarke would too, even if it freakin’ killed her!

They were all admiring the picture clarity and quality when Clarke’s cell rang, and she saw that it was Harper; since they had talked earlier she was surprised. “Hi Harper!” she said, hoping that everything was okay.

“It’s Monty. This is it Clarke, we’re at the hospital. I brought the laptop so you can ‘be here’ too. Once we’re settled in I’ll call again. I think this is going to go pretty fast.”

“Okay Monty! I love you both and I’ll be seeing you soon!” she ended the call and smiled at the others who had all heard Monty. “There’s going to be a baby soon!”

“Oh, what a happy day for them,” Mary said, unaware of Clarke’s premonition.

“I hope so Mary, I sincerely hope so.” But she was suddenly scared to death.

):(

By the time they got to the hospital Harper wanted to push, badly and Monty had to keep reminding her to hold back. “Not until Dr. Frazier says it’s okay Harper; just hang on sweetheart,” Monty told her with a sideways glance at her. The strain was showing clearly on her face and her hands were clenched at her sides as she tried to breathe through the pains which were coming every 90 seconds or so. This was quick this time Monty thought, and he just hoped they would make it to the hospital which was about 2 minutes away. They were waiting for them and Dr. Frazier was already there.

Just two minutes now, only two he kept repeating. When they pulled up at the emergency entrance Harper’s mom and dad were waiting for them; by the looks on their faces they were clearly worried about Harper’s appearance. Mel, Harper’s dad offered to go and park the car so that Monty could go with Harper.

Another pain started as soon as she was in the wheelchair and she grabbed Monty’s hand, moaning loudly. Inside, the staff in the maternity ward took over and got her into a room immediately. Monty kissed Renee on the cheek and told her he would let her know as soon as Harper got settled. Renee could only stare in fear as they took Harper to her room; her daughter did not look good at all.

They quickly had Harper out of her clothes and into the short shift she would wear during the labor, what little was left Monty thought. One of the nurses worked at getting her hooked up the monitor and another asked Monty questions.

“When did her labor start? She’s pretty far along now,” Rhonda asked, prepared to type the answers into the computer as Monty provided them.

“About, less than an hour ago.” He looked at his watch and frowned for a moment, thinking back. “I’d say no more than 40 minutes or so. We just grabbed her bag, called her mom and dad and a friend and then got in the car. There was a snarl on the I-10, which took the longest.”

Rhonda nodded and asked about reactions to pain meds and such while continuing to take notes. The anesthetist came in to give Harper the epidural and was concerned because it was so late in the game. 

“Has the baby moved into the birth canal yet?” he asked, looking at the readouts.

“Not yet, you have a few minutes,” Dr. Frazier said, as she contemplated the readings herself. Monty watched as her brow furrowed deeply and she bit at her lower lip with her teeth; he could tell something wasn’t right.

“Dr. Frazier, what’s wrong?” Monty asked. He was by the bed holding Harper’s hand as the anesthetist worked on the epidural. It was difficult since the contractions were so steady and they made Harper clench with the pain.

“I don’t think we’ve got her fetal monitor placed correctly because the baby’s heartbeat isn’t being recorded correctly. As soon as we have her anesthetized we’ll move it and see if that changes. She’s going to be ready to push in about 10 minutes or so though, so kids, this is going to be quick!” she said, rubbing Harper’s arm in an attempt to help soothe her. “Relax Harper, it’s going to be okay.” She nodded as the anesthetist finished and Harper rolled back over onto her back.

“Good girl Harper, now just relax for a moment as we get that monitor reset a bit.”

Harper gave a jerky nod as she exhaled a long breath. Now that the epidural was in the pain had abated and she felt a bit better. “Monty, set up the computer for Clarke and I, okay?”

Dr. Frazier looked at Monty in question and he explained about the Skype call. She nodded and said, “Just keep it out of the way; we can’t be tripping over it.”

Monty sat the computer down on a table a few feet from the bed and placed the call. Clarke answered immediately and Monty explained quickly what was happening and Clarke nodded, clearly concerned but she sat back on the couch, the computer resting on her lap. Bellamy sat next to her, his arm hugging her shoulders. There wasn’t much to see really, just the bed with a side view of Harper so he felt okay about it.

“Clarke? Clarkey, are you there?” Harper called out.

“I’m here Harper. I’ll be with you the whole time. I love you!” Clarke sounded much more optimistic than she felt but she tried to keep that from her face because she didn’t want to alarm Harper if she could actually see that clearly.

Another contraction started and Clarke watched as the nurse started to massage Harper’s belly to stimulate movement. In the background Clarke saw the doctor and another nurse looking at the printouts that the monitors were spewing out. They weren’t happy about something Clarke could see.

“Oh Bellamy,” she said in vamp tones. “Something IS wrong, look at the doctor.”

Bellamy had to agree, and they didn’t have too long to wait to find out what. “Harper, Monty, the baby’s heartbeat is slow, very slow. We need to do a C-section, immediately. Monty, you can be in here, but you need to go and scrub now.” She nodded at Rhonda and said, “Get him taken care of and don’t waste any time – this baby needs to come out STAT!”

“Monty,” Harper cried, scared to death.

“It’s okay sweetheart, I’ll be right back. I know you’re scared, but it’s going to be fine.” He followed Rhonda out the door at a trot.

“My god Bellamy. It’s happening just like I saw. They are going to cut into her and see the cord around the baby’s neck.” Clarke cried softly against Bellamy’s shoulder. “I should be there. Dammit,” she all but yelled.

Dr. Frazier and her scrub nurse were busy, and Clarke watched as they draped Harper and realized they were swabbing her belly with betadine in preparation to cut. It was all moving so fast, which was a good thing but it was more frightening.

Before scrubbing Monty took a moment to tell everyone in the waiting room what was happening. Her parents, his parents, Raven, Murphy, Abby and Marcus all were stunned. Finally Raven said, “GO, get back there with her, we’ll be waiting.”

Raven called Clarke on the cell, upset over what was happening. When Clarke answered she said, “I am watching it Raven; they’re getting ready to cut into her. Wait, there’s Monty back in the room with her. My god, this is terrifying Raven.”

Clarke watched and reported to Raven as the procedure happened. Murphy watched and actually sweated a bit; a vamp in a hospital was a recipe for disaster unless the vamp had iron control. The scent of blood was everywhere and he had to work really hard to ignore it.

Dr. Frazier said, “Okay Harper, we’re going to make the first cut now. Monty, stay with her at the head of the bed please; we hate it when father’s faint away from the blood!” she teased. Clarke saw it all from the side so she really couldn’t see anything direct or up close and she was grateful for that. Even just seeing the blood was playing on her. Bellamy got up and got them both glasses of blood as they watched.

“There now, let’s make the second incision, um hm, good, good. Harper, you are doing wonderfully. Ah, there is the problem; the cord is wrapped around her neck. Is neo-natal here yet?” she asked as she untangled the cord from around the baby. She pulled her out finally and cleaned her airway and she let out a loud yell, a protestation of the lights and cool air. “Your little girl looks good,” Dr. Frazier said, handing her to a nurse. 

Clarke started crying and Raven was suddenly scared. “What is it Clarke? Is she…”

“She’s good, she’s crying, and she looks good they say!” She heard Raven relay the message to the other’s and listened to all of them talking at once. 

After a brief moment so that Harper and Monty could see her they started to clean her up and perform her Apgar score. Clarke and Bellamy couldn’t see that but could hear the nurses as they took care of her and knew that she was just fine.

“Harper and Monty, you have a blonde haired, blue eyed little girl who weighs 7 lbs and 4 oz. She’s a beauty,” the nurse said and then added, “Excuse me, gorgeous, a very gorgeous girl!” Rhonda spoke to the doctor quietly and she told Harper and Monty, “The apgar is a 7; not too bad considering we did the c section. We’ll score again in a few minutes and see how she is doing then, but this is nothing to be concerned about.”

Everyone, including Monty and Harper had forgotten that Clarke and Bellamy were on the other end of the computer. Suddenly Monty remembered and rushed to it and asked, “Did you see? She looks great!” His excitement was hard to contain.

“Congratulations Monty. It was dicey there for a moment, but she appears to be fine,” Clarke said. “How do you think Harper is?”

“Harper is fantastic,” she said from across the room. The doctor was stitching her up with the nurse standing close by. “Could I have some ice chips please?”

“Just a few, we don’t want you getting sick. You won’t want that either, I can promise,” the nurse said as she spooned a few chips into Harper’s mouth. “Slowly Harper,” she reminded her as she crunched into them. “Just let them melt.”

Clarke reported to Raven, and Monty was amused to know that everyone already knew about the arrival of their baby girl. “Thanks Clarke, for letting them all know. I’ll be out in a bit, after we get Harper taken care of.”

The nurse called him over and handed the baby to Monty, who cuddled her and kissed his daughter. He walked over to the computer and leant down so that Clarke and Bellamy could see her, showing them with pride.

“She is beautiful Monty, just adorable,” Clarke said, amazed at how perfect she was. She could hear Harper in the background saying, “I want to see her Monty!” Clarke laughed and told Monty, “You’d better get that child over to her mom. Let’s end the call now Monty and I’ll call Harper in the morning, okay? Or she is welcome to call me later if she feels like it.”

Monty looked at his wife’s tired face and knew that as soon as it was quiet she was going to be out like a light. “I’ll tell her but I would make a bet that she’ll be asleep pretty quickly. Clarke, Bellamy, thanks so much for sharing this with us!” He closed the computer with a click.

“She’s okay Clarke; even though your premonition was true, she was okay.” He hugged her close to him, thankful for everyone concerned. Finally, Clarke heard Raven on the phone saying, “Clarke? Hey Clarke?”

“Opps, sorry Raven. She’s awesome and so cute too. Monty will be out soon I expect. Wait until you see the little doll.” 

Clarke could hear a male voice saying something to Raven except she couldn’t tell what was being said. Finally Raven said, “Murphy wants to know what you thought about it all?”

“Murphy is there? How the heck did that happen?” Clarke inquired. She wanted to hear that story. Bellamy, beside her was laughing.

“Yes, he was at my house when Monty called, and he brought me to the hospital.”

Both Bellamy and Clarke’s eyebrows raised a good inch as they heard that. She turned to Bellamy and he grinned with a shrug before shaking his head. Murphy hadn’t come to term with his feelings for Raven yet, but the time was coming, it was coming. Maybe sooner than Murphy could appreciate Bellamy speculated. It was clear to Bellamy and Clarke that the elder vampire had feelings for Raven; what wasn’t clear was her feelings for him. Clarke was sure that she cared about him, but she’d be a tough nut to crack. If Murphy had enough patience, they might well end up together.

“Okay. Well, um, tell him I’m fine. Is my mom there?”

“Yes, she is. Wanna talk to her?” At Clarke’s affirmative Raven handed the phone to Abby and listened as Abby and Clarke chatted for a few minutes. When Monty came into the room she handed the phone back to Raven who told Clarke she’d call later and ended the call.

“Raven, could you come with me for a moment?” Monty asked. He saw the disappointed look on the grandparent’s faces and added, “I’ll be back in a minute with your new grandson, but Harper has asked to speak to Raven for a minute.” There was quiet murmuring from the group as they left the waiting room and headed to where Harper was resting.

“Harper,” Raven exclaimed as she went to her friend and kissed her on the forehead. “How do you feel?”

“Tired, but okay. My stomach is going to hurt like a bear later though. Right now, they have ice packs on it and gave me some wonderful drugs…” Her eyes blinked several times and Raven saw that they drooped as well. She was going to be out like a light soon.

“Raven, Monty and I would like you to be her godmother. Will you?”

“Me? You want me? Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. I don’t know anything about kids Harper. That would be like putting Winnie the Pooh in charge of the forest; I’d be lost.”

“Well, all you have to do is spoil her a bit and buy her fabulous birthday gifts. Monty and I don’t plan on going anywhere. So what do you say?”

“Fabulous gifts? Like ponies and her first Camero? I can do that! Yes, I would love to in that case!”

She wiped away the tear that suddenly sprang to her eyes and Monty handed her a tissue to help. “So Raven, let’s take your godchild out to meet her family,” Monty said. He handed Raven the tiny bundle who was pursing her little cherubic lips and blinking in the bright lights. The second apgar score had cleared her; she was fine and delightful and Harper admired her greatly.

She felt almost weightless in her arms, but she was still scared to death she would drop her. Harper noticed and said, “You’ll do fine. Just support her head and it will be okay.” She smiled and Raven and Monty disappeared out the door and blew out a long breath. She was so tired, maybe she could sleep while they were gone…yes, that sounded wonderful.

Raven and Monty walked down the hallway and through the double doors. Raven was conscious of every single step; afraid she might stumble with her precious burden. She was completely still but her eyes were still open. “Can she see anything yet?”

“No, only shadows they say, but who knows for sure. She sure is alert isn’t she?” The turned the corner and saw the group waiting for the baby and Monty stopped and said, “Everyone, Raven and I would like to present Brianna Rae Green.

The oohs and aahs said it all.

):(

Luca Fiorentino pulled his Toyota into his driveway with a sigh. It had been a long day and night. He stared at his watch and saw that it was after 11 pm; he had been working for 16 hours straight. So much for the glamorous life of a police detective he thought with a wry smile.

He closed the garage door with the zapper and then got out of his car and headed inside. He almost forgot to grab his mail so he went to the front door and opened it, sticking his hand into the mailbox and encountered a large envelope. Curious, he pulled it and his other mail out and headed into the living room where he poured a whiskey and then sat down on the couch to check out the mail. He noticed that the large envelope didn’t have a postmark on it and no return address. That gave him pause for a moment and he weighed the envelope carefully. It was flat, nothing in it but papers he could tell but you had to be careful these days; there could be anthrax or all sorts of toxins within it.

As he sat there sipping his drink and trying to decide what to do his phone rang. Not bothering to look to see that it said Unavailable he answered, figuring it was the station again. 

“Luca Fiorentino?” a muffled voice asked.

“Yes, who’s calling?”

“Never mind that. Have you opened the envelope yet?”

“Not without knowing who sent it first. Care to help me out on that?”

“Let’s just say a friend. You’ll find a list of names in there. I think you’ll find some of them very interesting.”

Luca thought about it for a moment and finally ripped the envelope open, seeing the list. He flipped through the pages and finally came to the last one. One name on it stood out like a sore thumb. 

Bellamy Blake.

“So what is this?” he asked, curious.

“That’s what you need to figure out Luca,” the voice said. “You do that and you will be a very wise man.”

Luca read some of the other names; some of the people he knew were dead and some were historical or fictional characters too. “Look buddy, I’m a busy guy and I don’t have time to play your games. Either give me the information of fuck off.”

“All of those names are connected in one of two ways. You dig around a bit and you’ll figure it out. You’re a smart guy Detective Fiorentino.”

Luca kept looking at the list and Bellamy’s name kept jumping out, as did John Murphy. What the hell could they have in common with some of these others?

“Fascinating isn’t it? You’re mind is already trying to figure it out. I’ll call back in a few days and see if you’d like to learn more.”

The line went dead and Luca continued to stare at the list until his eyes blurred. He was beat and decided to go to bed. Maybe tomorrow the light of day would shed some more light on this mystery. Tonight? He just didn’t give a damn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all doing well. No episode this week and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It would be a lie if I said I was enjoying this season because frankly I'm not. In fact, I haven't liked it at all. Jratt (Rothenberg) is screwing us I think. Not just about Bellarke, but the whole damn season. Brought in all these new people who mostly die right away or add nothing to the story. It's not moving along at all - so much that needs to happen and little time to do it. I didn't care for Anaconda, but then I'm not interested in the prequel anyway. These are just my thoughts and I'm sure you all have yours. I'd love to read what you think about the season if you'd care to share! Love you all!!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murphy speaks with Colleen because she wants to change her career. He gets Jasper to help her and gets some good news about the hunt for Katrina. Wells and Cami have a first date for a drink and they both enjoy it and make plans for another. Wells can't figure out how things evidently work for vamps, but nonetheless he is positive she is one. He wonders if Clarke is now one as well. Bellamy and Clarke have lesson time but Clarke can't keep her hands off of him.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading - I hope you are enjoying the story. Your kudo's and comments rock my world.

Chapter 12

“Murphy, may I speak to you for a few minutes?” Colleen asked, peeking through a partially open door to his office.

“Certainly Colleen, come on in and have a seat. Is everything okay? Are you getting along with everyone?” He already knew the answer to that, Ryan had reported that she was excellent and a great addition to the security team. Still, better to hear it from her.

“Yes, everything is good. I enjoy working on the team for the most part. My problem isn’t that really, it’s the fact that this whole thing with Katrina and Kelly has made me do a lot of thinking. I need to make a change.”

Murphy leaned back in his chair, he rested his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. “Okay, tell me about it.”

“I have only been working for the cleaners for 30 years or so; I was a cleaner in Kansas City before I came here. I transferred here a dozen years ago thinking that the change might do me good. But over time I’ve realized that it’s not for me and I’d like to go back to school. I’m a nurse, or used to be. I was turned by a doctor during the Civil War after I was attacked by a dying man. He didn’t realize what he was doing. After the battles we would go out into the fields and search for wounded soldiers and when I found him he was hallucinating and stabbed me in the stomach. Dr. Green found me and knew that I was dying. He revealed what he was and asked me if I wanted to be turned. I said yes, I just didn’t really understand it. I don’t regret it really, but after so many years a person gets bored. I have been a nurse off and on since then. In the late 40’s I studied to be a doctor and finished two years of med school but then the Korean War broke out and I enlisted to work as a MASH nurse. After I came back I’d had all I could take of blood for a while, blood of the wounded or dying that is and so I just drifted. But now is the time to go back and finish what I started. Besides, we need all the family friendly doctors we can get; when I think of the humans that befriend us, I think it’s important to be able to help them so that they don’t have to constantly worry about revealing too much. I want to specialize in blood related diseases and illnesses.”

She took a deep breath as she finished her statement and sat quietly as Murphy digested her words. Her hands were clasped in front of her and he noticed that she was picking at a fingernail, evidently worrying about what he thought. What he thought was that she was right, they did need more doctors among them and she had a head start; not that any of those credentials would do any good now, but there were solutions for that. It was certainly more difficult nowadays; in the old days they just used someone’s identify that had died at birth or as a very small child. It wasn’t that easy now.

“Colleen, I think you are absolutely right and I’ll do all I can to help. Jasper Kane should be able to help you with identity and credentials, the boy is a genius. What about money? Med school is very expensive these days.” He knew that for a fact because he was currently paying UCLA a few hundred thousand dollars in tuition for several of his girls who were med students. Still, it was more than worth it. He wrote down Jasper’s contact information and handed it to her saying, “Just give him a call and tell him that I sent you. I hate to lose you Colleen, but every vamp needs to trust when it’s time to make a change.”

She accepted the card Murphy had given her and looked at it gratefully. “Thank you, Murphy. I feel terrible since this is so soon after I started working for you. I’m more than fine for money; I’ve put lots away over the years. I’ll continue working for you until everything is settled, if that is okay?”

“Absolutely. Ryan will be sorry to lose you because he has spoken very highly of you but he will understand as well. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.”

She nodded and stood up, offering her hand to Murphy. He shook it firmly and met her eyes with a smile in his clear blue ones. As she left the room and closed the door he sat back down and made a call to Jasper, to tell him that he was to spare no expense to help her and that he understood it would take a bit of time away from Katrina. It was a priority to help his people because loyalty couldn’t be bought.

With that thought in mind he placed the call; the young man was about as loyal as they came and trusting too he thought, remembering their conversation about sex. Maybe a bit too trusting, and Murphy would have to work on that.

“Jasper?” Murphy, listening to a rapid shut down of some god-awful music in the background.

“Yes, sorry Murphy,” he said, noting the name on the phone. “Are you calling for an update?”

“Not exactly, but if you have something now is the time to spit it out.”

“As a matter of fact I do,” Jasper answered sounding extremely pleased. “A friend of mine at Homeland security saw her crossing into Mexico two days ago.”

“Great, just fucking great,” Murphy muttered. He was definitely getting a headache, or what passed for one in a vampire.

“Well actually, it is. He got a tag number for her which I traced and found the name she was operating under currently and it’s one we didn’t have. AND, it gives me a lead to search for through the banking system and credit agencies. Also, and this is a biggie, he has photos of her and the car. He will email them to me from home on a secure server.”

Vampire headache number 469 was immediately gone and replaced by a grim happiness. “Jasper, you are indeed the man!”

“So will you call me Lando Calrissian now?” the young vampire asked.

“No. Does Audrey call you Lando?”

“Uh, no.”

“I didn’t think so. Let me know when the pictures get here Jasper,” he emphasized and then hung up. He had a silly smile on his face though, the young vamp was entertaining, that was for sure.

A short while later Colleen hung up the phone after talking to Jasper. He was going to arrange a new identity for her after they got as many of her old transcripts as were available. That would determine what they needed to get her back into medical school. For the first time in a long time Colleen settled into her freezer with a smile on her face; maybe life was going to get a whole lot better.

):(

At the appointed time Wells entered Quigley’s Mirage, a small upscale bar that he had never visited before. He spotted Cami sitting in the back in a large circular booth and headed that way. There was a lively jaunt to his step at the sight of her; even coming from work she looked lovely he thought. 

She wore her long blonde hair down loose and it swung around her shoulders as she stood up to greet him, holding out her hand shyly. Again, it was chilly and it struck him too was a vampire; so how did this go he wondered.

He had thought about Bellamy a great deal the past couple of days. Many of the old standard myths about vampires seemed to fall away when he considered Bellamy. He’d seen him outside during the day several times and at Finn’s funeral he’d been covered in bruises and abrasions. That had puzzled Wells a great deal, but maybe it didn’t matter all that much because evidently vampires could get hurt too. He’d seen him drinking wine and eating cake at the wedding, although only when he and Clarke did the official cutting of the cake. Wells wondered if he slept in a coffin or if that was folklore as well? The thought of Clarke sleeping in a coffin bothered him a great deal. Or Cami too; was that where she actually slept? It was a sobering thought and he quickly pushed it out of his mind.

When he reached her he not only shook her hand but leaned down to lightly kiss her cheek. She smelled wonderful, some type of exotic floral scent, light but entrancing he decided. Or maybe that was Cami herself because he certainly felt drawn to her. 

“Hi,” he said, as they sat down in the booth. It was about the best he could get out as he stared at her in the understated lighting of the bar.

“Hi yourself,” she answered. “Did you have any problems finding this place?” She thought about it for a moment and then laughed. “You’re a cop, so I suspect not!”

Her laughter was soft and melodic and it made him smile; hell, everything about her made him smile. “No problems.” He glanced around the room and nodded approvingly. “Nice place, quiet which is unusual for a bar.”

“Yes, one of the reasons I like it; you can actually talk to someone in here and not have to shout. What would you like to drink Wells?” she asked as the server stopped at their table.

“Um, Dos Equis Amber?” he asked the server. She nodded and then looked at Cami, waiting for her to order.

“I’ll have a Grey Goose martini, dirty,” she stated and then as the server walked away she wanted to duck under the table; a martini had an olive in it. How did she explain not eating it? If she ate it could she keep it down long enough to make it to the bathroom? A shiver crept up her spine and goose bumps ridged her arms, making the short blonde hairs raise noticeably.

“Are you cold Cami? Would you like my jacket?” Wells asked as he immediately noticed her reaction.

“No, I’ll be fine Wells, just a – I felt a chill for a moment but I’m fine now. So, you knew Raven and Clarke in college Raven tells me. I’ll bet those girls were hell on wheels back then. Got any good stories to share?” she asked with a smile, hoping that it would take his mind off of the goose bumps which were finally settling down.

“More than I care to remember actually,” he laughed, recalling a few times when things had gotten a bit out of hand. Still, they were good memories and always made him smile.

The server set their drinks down on the table after first placing cocktail napkins down. The bottle of Dos Equis was frosty cold and the server set a frosted glass down next to it. At his nod she poured the amber brew into the glass and he smiled with anticipation. He watched Cami pick up the tiny sword that held a large olive and an onion and scowl at them both.

“Don’t like them?” he asked. She was lightly chewing her bottom lip and looked up at him, a startled look in her eyes. 

Wells reached out and took the skewered garnishments and popped them into his mouth with a grin. “Sorry,” he said with a laugh. “You looked like you despised them and I love them. Hope that was okay?” He watched her and she seemed relieved. He believed that vampires probably couldn’t eat food and he wanted to make the evening as relaxed for her as he could; if that meant eating the onions and olives he’d do it all night if necessary.

Her eyes sparked brilliantly for a moment and she grinned. “Yeah, I detest them and forgot to tell them not to put any in the drink. Thanks!” she said, more relieved than she could express. He had unwittingly done the perfect thing. He was such a gentleman and very kind as well. She was afraid to let herself get close to him, but she felt as if she was swirling around, caught in a miasma beyond her control and it scared her.

Despite her beautiful exterior, Cami was very inexperienced where men were concerned. She had never really dated anyone; her Victorian upbringing was so ingrained into her that she shied away from men whenever possible. Born in 1881 into a world of privilege and rank, surrounded by over-protective governesses until she was 21 years old and she married Edmund Stanton, she knew nothing of the world. On their honeymoon cruise they were attacked by a pirate ship of all things. The captain of the ship was a woman named The Red Wench and she quickly took a fancy to Edmund, whose stunning good looks made him a ready prize. Cami was kept below deck for days, only being fed barely enough to stay alive. One night Edmund was allowed to see her and the look in his eyes appalled her; his eyes were silvered and burning with a lust that she didn’t understand. 

She was his wife and when he bid her to come to him she went; her eyes held in thrall by his. He held her close for a moment and she saw tears in his eyes and he said, “Please Cami, forgive me. When this is done, run away my darling, don’t hesitate. Your life as you knew it is over.” With that he sunk his newly revealed fangs into her neck and drank of her, deeply and she felt her life ebbing slowly away. When she awoke she felt a burning hunger deep within and she looked around frantically for something to satisfy it. 

It was night and she was alone on a beach in the Caribbean; she later found out that it was Tortuga. She was covered in blood and she ran to the water, anxious to wash it away in the frothy waves that raced to shore. She was hungry, more hungry than she ever had been before and needed food. Or so she thought. The memories flooded back to her and she acknowledged that if it hadn’t been for another vamp that found her and took care of her she likely wouldn’t be alive today.

The evening with Wells passed quickly and very comfortably. He walked her to her car afterwards, his hand protectively resting on the small of her back. The touch was light and sent tingles tracing playfully up and down her spine. It was a feeling she was definitely not accustomed to; she also decided that she liked it a lot.

“Do you like baseball?” Wells asked as they stood by her car.

“Baseball?” she asked. “I um, yes I like it.”

“I have two tickets to Saturday nights Padres game, in San Diego. Would you like to go with me? As I said, it’s a night game, under the lights, so it should be cooler.”

“I’ve never been to a game Wells, only seen them on tv. It sounds like fun though.” She found it interesting that he specifically pointed out that it was at night, but thought it was just good luck. 

“Okay then. I’ll pick you up around six and we can drive down in plenty of time for the game. Would you like to stop and eat on the way or grab a hot dog and beer at the ball park?” The question was asked with a mind to her reaction; for a night date a meal would usually be included and he had decided that she couldn’t eat regular food. He’d eaten three of the garnishes for her drinks and she seemed happy to let him but they were going to have to find a way past the eating thing.

“I – I have food allergies Wells, so I normally only eat at home, where I can control everything. I’ll be glad to share a beer at the ball park though, if that’s okay with you?”

Wells grinned and nodded, “That’s more than fine Cami,” he told her, happy that the food issue would now be put aside. He wouldn’t ask or push for more answers from her, in her own time he hoped that she would tell him; he’d be patient. He liked her so much; this whole evening had been wonderful and he couldn’t wait for Saturday.

They stood awkwardly for a moment, both wanting more connection and neither knowing how to make that happen. Wells finally stepped forward and bent to kiss her cheek again, pulling her closer to him. He felt her arms wrap around his waist and heard her inhale deeply.

“You smell wonderful Wells; I don’t know what you’re wearing but it’s nice,” she told him, the words murmured against his ear.

He chuckled and said, “Not wearing anything, but I’m glad you think I smell nice. I can definitely say ditto.”

She took a step back and pushed the button to unlock her car door. She looked down at the pavement, afraid to meet his eyes. 

Wells noticed the gesture and placed a gentle finger under her chin and raised it just a fraction, until electric blue eyes met chocolate brown ones. “Goodnight Cami. I can’t wait until Saturday.” He opened her car door and waited while she sat down and fastened her safety belt. He heard the engine of the Mercedes purr to life and caught one last look that she gave him through the window.

_Yes, he most definitely couldn’t wait until Saturday_.

):(

Clarke sat cross-legged on the floor of the living room with Bellamy kneeling behind her. His hands rested lightly on her shoulders and she let out a sigh as she felt his head next to hers, his breath sending erotic ripples down the skin of her neck. Just being this near him was all it took to get her aroused and Bellamy smiled as he scented her need. He wasn’t faring any better himself but that wasn’t the object of this exercise.

“Okay Clarke – close your eyes and I want you to sense me, feel me in the room behind you. Then tell me where I am.”

“Well Bellamy, if you don’t know where you are I’m afraid I’m not going to be much help,” she teased. She turned her head and tilted it upwards for a kiss, which he gladly gave her. “Seriously? You want me to figure out where you are without looking?”

“You’re my mate Clarke, it will be much easier than you think. Just think of your senses as – as fingers reaching outwards. Listen, and picture me in your mind. You can do it; I really think you can. Let’s give it a try, okay?”

She huffed out a frustrated breath; this wasn’t what she had in mind when Bellamy had sat her down on the floor. A quick vision of rolling around with him in front of the fireplace made her grin broadly. Maybe if she…

“Uh uh, not until after,” he told her, knowing exactly where her thoughts were going. “After,” he said, his voice nothing more than a breathy whisper in her ear. With a deep groan she closed her eyes and prepared to ‘find’ him behind her.

She closed her eyes and pictured him, trying to reach out to him. Her still mostly untrained vampire hearing couldn’t pick up a single sound but still she tried. She let her mind reach out, mentally searching the room and suddenly she knew where he was. “You are behind the staircase Bellamy! Come on out and let’s play now,” she laughed.

Suddenly he was beside her, laughing. “I told you, it wasn’t even hard was it?”

“No, it wasn’t!” she said as she grabbed the front of his forest green Henley and pulled his face down for a kiss. “Now I want my reward!” Her lips captured his and for a long moment they were both lost in that deluge of sensation. 

He finally broke away from the kiss because if he didn’t then they were going to end up exactly where she wanted them to be. The same place that they seemed to end up most of the time. Not that he was complaining but training had definitely taken a back seat to sex and there was still so much she needed to learn before they could go home and she had constant interruptions.

“Not yet Clarke. C’mon, again. It will get easier each time.”

“It wasn’t hard that time. Again…really?”

“Yes!”

She found him, time and time again, each experiment easier than the previous one. “Okay, I’ve had my lesson! Now I want a different kind of lesson teacher,” she cooed into his ear and it was his turn to shiver with desire.

“I love you Bellamy; I need you.” Her words were like molten fire that set his soul alight and he stared into the intense silver blue of her eyes, losing himself to their shimmering gaze. “Now,” she whispered, and Bellamy realized that she had already shed her clothes; he didn’t know when or how but he gazed at her alabaster beauty with wonder, with awe. Her soft rosy pink nipples drew his eyes to them and he reached a finger to trace lovingly across an already aroused bud.

“I love you my Clarke, I adore you…” he trailed off as his mouth claimed hers in a scorching kiss. She opened to him as his tongue sought entry into the warm depths of her mouth and stroked across hers, causing her to suck in a deep breath. The kiss went on and on, his tongue tasting the sweetness that was his Clarke before it swirled more demandingly, plundering deeply into her. He knew her mouth, intimately, as only a lover can and he reveled in the knowledge of how he made her feel.

It only took but a moment for him to remove his own clothes and she watched him with hungry eyes, eyes that ate up every inch of him. She reached out to stroke his hardened length, caressing it tenderly as delicate fingers traced over the veins and slipped across the tip where a small drop of dew glistened. She spread it over him and thrilled as he moaned softly.

His fingers reached out and tangled in the cascade of silken tresses as her mouth found him, laving her tongue around him and pulling him deeply into her mouth. Over and over her heated mouth traced his hardness until he was breathless with need. No one had ever made him feel like this; it was heaven and it was hell. He needed her, needed to bury himself in her depths and find that sweet release that only she could provide.

He pulled away from her and settled between her legs, nudging against her warm and wet opening with his hardened shaft. His lips found her nipple and drew on it as it blossomed to aching perfection with his devotion. Her breath was ragged as she wiggled her hips and her hand slid between them, guiding him home as she thrust her hips upwards, taking him into her with a sigh. Her body gripped him tightly, enveloping him with greedy heat. Her hands played in the shaggy dark hair that that already clung damply to his skin.

He thrust into her slowly and it spread liquid fire through both of them. The headiness of it filled them both, driving them onward. Her body clung to his and they were both lost in the sensation of joy as they reached the plateau, the pleasure of it a thundering crescendo of passion. They turned their heads so that they could find the place that they had each marked with their love, their devotion. 

As the last flittering wings of ecstasy brushed against them both they stared into one another’s eyes. Nothing else mattered except for what each saw in the other’s eyes; together they made magic.

):(

As Wells drove home after his date with Cami he thought about their date and eagerly anticipated the next one. He still didn’t understand completely what vampirism was, the real facts about it, but he was willing to learn. What surprised him was that they seemed to be everywhere, if you knew how to look. How on earth had they not been discovered before? They were real and while there might be similarities between them and movie vampires, there were also differences. What was Clarke like now? Was she a vampire as he suspected? 

When he got home, he got online and started searching for Bellamy’s address in Seattle. He didn’t have a clue where to look, other than the fact that Raven had mentioned at the wedding that Bellamy’s house was apparently on Puget Sound. It was a starting place anyway. He searched for over an hour, in Seattle and all the small towns around the area but couldn’t find Bellamy Blake anywhere or any other combination of it either. He frowned as he broadened the search, looking for PI’s there.

His search was fruitless; he needed more information and that meant that he and Raven needed to get together for that lunch date soon because he was going to Seattle to make sure she was okay. He would find them, he was determined.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little Jasper and Audrey loving, minus the cats. Tango, the new lead cleaner takes control of the group. Raven and Murphy have an intimate dinner together she she opens up to him regarding her fear of vampires. 
> 
> I hope you will all enjoy this chapter as we move a bit farther into the story for Raven and Murphy, and Jasper and Audrey. Thanks so much for the kudos, they make me so happy. Love you all.

Chapter 13

Murphy walked with Tango into the Cleaner headquarters, closely followed by Miguel. The crew that were on duty looked up and a few of them even looked surprised; guess they didn’t pay attention to the memo Murphy thought wryly. Some of them seemed surprised to see Tango because they expected a woman to be in charge since that was usually how it worked. A couple of the female cleaners stood a bit straighter, liking this new development. 

“Is everyone here?” Murphy asked, referring to the off-duty group that had been called in for the meeting.

“Yes, they are all gathered in the training room,” Dasha said as her eyes raked Tango from head to foot. She liked what she saw; she could only hope for a taste of it.

Murphy frowned at her open appraisal of Tango and said tersely, “Okay, let’s get this going shall we?”

Tango’s eyes narrowed in irritation as he saw several of the group cast mocking looks at one another; one of the men even rolled his eyes. Tango decided that he was gone, immediately because he wasn’t going to brook any disrespect from any of them. “You? Yes, you, the one who rolled his eyes. Gather your gear; you’re out of here, permanently.” His proper English voice was clear and concise and should have brooked no argument.

Clint looked at him in shock as white hot anger slowly took over. “You can’t just get rid of me like that for an opinion. We all have the right to our personal views.” Before he realized it Tango stood toe-to-toe with him, Tango’s face a mere inch from Clint’s.

“You think not? I’ll not have any dissention among the ranks. Now, you will clear out now or I’m going to do a lot more than just terminate your employment. Do you catch my drift?”

Clint swallowed quickly and managed a brief nod before he stepped back several steps before he hurried out of the room. Tango watched him with a satisfied gleam in his eye and turned to the rest of the group and spoke. “Anyone else want to challenge me? I will tell you right now that if you aren’t ready to provide faithful and loyal service to this business you can follow that chap, no questions asked.” He in turn stared at each one of the remaining group and assessed their feelings. Several of them weren’t happy, but they weren’t saying anything either. They would bear watching he decided.

Murphy and Miguel stood silently and watched it all with solid approval; this is exactly what this group needed, discipline and someone who will ultimately be able to unite them after they had gotten rid of a few bad apples. Tango was eminently qualified to do this job; after all, he had lead hundreds of men during the Revolutionary War, even if it was for the losing side. A quick memory flashed across Murphy’s face of the first time he had laid eyes on Tango, proud as hell of that fancy red coat and shot all to hell in a battle. Even near death Tango refused to capitulate, insisting the British would whip the colonists into shape. Everyone needed a dream Murphy had decided back then, that was before he got to know Tango and learned a great deal of respect for him.

Yes, he was perfect for this job.

The meeting went quite well actually. Tango promised them all that by working together they would reap profits that had been denied them before under Katrina’s leadership. He also promised to immediately remove any of them who sought to keep that from happening. “I respond to loyalty and reward it; if this isn’t for you then there is no repercussions for stepping forward at this time.” He looked around the room as they nodded in response to his words. He felt satisfied that they were in a good starting place.

):(

Jasper rushed into Audrey’s house, running behind as usual. He realized that over the years he had developed some rather lackadaisical habits and now that life wasn’t only about him he was paying for them. Working and catching a few hours of freezer time in one place and living somewhere else didn’t help either he acknowledged and couldn’t wait for them to get started on the plans for the new house, which they were going to do tonight at dinner with Abby and Marcus.

Audrey was feeding the fur kids when he came hurrying in, carrying a bag with blood and several changes of clothes in it. “Sorry I’m running late Audie, I’m just going to catch a quick shower and get dressed and then I’ll be ready to go.” He looked at her apologetically and she hid a smile behind a hand; he sort of resembled Eeyore, the down-trodden donkey from Winnie the Pooh sometimes, afraid that somehow he didn’t measure up to what he thought she wanted. All she could do was to continually show him that he was exactly what she wanted, what she needed.

“It’s okay Jasper,” she told him, wrapping her arms around him and tilting her face up for a kiss. “Abby knows you’re always running late these days, so take your time!” He nodded gratefully before sealing his lips to hers in a slow and lingering kiss that curled his toes. He reluctantly pulled away from her, grinning like a love-struck fool and headed to the shower. _The things Audie did to him should be illegal they were so good._

Fifteen minutes later they were in the car and heading to Marcus and Abby’s house. Audrey and Jasper had been looking at ideas for the house and they had decided that they wanted to build green; the technology that was out there was incredible and they couldn’t wait to talk to Marcus about it. His construction firm specialized in new green technology and he might even have ideas that they hadn’t ran across.

As soon as the door opened Audrey’s nose picked up the smell of something wonderful. Marcus stood aside so they could enter as Abby headed into the foyer, wiping her hands on an apron. Jasper grinned at that, it seemed that most women didn’t wear aprons anymore, but Abby did and it accentuated her growing baby bump he thought. She looked beautiful and he remembered back to when she was pregnant with Clarke. They were juniors in high school and Marcus had already enlisted in the army, stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. He had missed the beautiful glow that she had, but at least he could appreciate it this time.

Abby hugged Audrey first and then Jasper and she blushed delightfully when he whistled and told her how lovely she looked. “Are you feeling well?” he asked and was glad when she told him yes.

When she was pregnant with Clarke Jasper and his parents had been sworn to secrecy about it; Abby was so upset by it and didn’t want Marcus to know because she was sure he would hate her. The reality was that he would have likely have not stopped until he discovered who raped her; maybe that thought had scared her more. Of course, at the time none of them knew that she had been raped, but Marcus would still probably have hunted them down. He loved her fiercely, even then.

“Are you hungry?” she asked as they followed her back to the kitchen. 

“Man, this smells good,” Jasper said. “Sometimes I really wish I could still eat food. This smells like your mom’s lasagna. Oh, I remember that so well!”

“I know. She always doubled the batch because she knew that your food radar would detect it in the air.” Abby’s smile was wistful as she thought about her mother; she missed her so much and hoped that Grace could somehow know how happy both she and Clarke were.

Jasper stood near the counter as Abby cut the lasagna into serving pieces and then watched as Marcus moved it to the table in the dining room. Abby opened the fridge and pulled out salad and tossed it with the dressing and then a pitcher of iced tea. “Oh! I almost forgot the garlic bread,” she said in panic, hoping that it hadn’t burned in the oven. It was nicely browned and she pulled it out with a smile and a happy sigh.

Marcus stood by the doorway into the dining room, his arms crossed in front of him and he watched his wife. She was more beautiful now than she had ever been and when she looked up and saw him watching her and slow blush spread over her face. Their eyes met and locked and for just a moment there was only the two of them in the room. Abby licked her lips nervously, trying to cover her sudden awareness that Jasper and Audrey were watching them, both of them smiling as they saw the looks that passed between Abby and Marcus. 

Jasper walked past his brother, thumping him on the shoulder as he did so. “I guess you still got it old man!” he chided and laughed at the pleased look on his brother’s face.

Abby carried in an insulated mug and sat it down in front of Jasper. It amazed him still that they were so accepting of it; he no longer felt embarrassed by his vampirism and he also knew that he was fortunate because most vamps didn’t have any family. Yes, he was one lucky guy he acknowledged as he looked around the table where most of the people that he loved in this life sat.

What he didn’t realize was that they were amazed he could be so relaxed and easy-going about his vampirism, given the fact that Bellamy was so unhappy about it. Abby could only hope that since her daughter had been turned that Bellamy would be happier, now that he had a mate.

Marcus approved of the research that Audrey and Jasper had done concerning green construction methods and innovations for their home. The idea that garnered most of their time and attention though was how many bedrooms to choose.

“Why do we need more than one? Can someone explain that to me?” Jasper said, irritated by the fact that all three of them seemed to think that they needed as least 3.

“Jasper, we might have guests or something. What are you going to do when my grandmother comes to visit? She will and probably soon because she wants to meet you.”

Abby’s eyes lit up when she saw the moment of panic that washed across Jasper’s face. She saw Marcus smiling at the thought and they both tried to hide it from Jasper.

“You both find this really funny do you?” he lamented. “I never dreamed of something like this.” He hung his head for a moment, knowing that it was going to happen eventually.

Audrey reached across the table and touched his hand, rubbing it lightly in support. “Jasper, she will love you, I promise.”

“She’ll probably have a heart attack when she finds out I’m a vampire and then I’ll have her death on my conscience forever,” he moaned.

Audrey rolled her eyes, he was so dramatic!

Later after they had gotten home both of them forgot all about houses and grandmother’s as they sipped wine and looked into one another’s eyes. She was his world, his life, and nothing else mattered. The gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach blossomed into need and he stood and picked Audrey up, carrying her into their bedroom.

“Love you Audie,” he whispered as he spread warm kisses across her lips, her forehead, and her jaw line. Her skin was like the softest velvet and he reveled in the taste and texture of her. 

He laid her down on the bed and sat down next to her, resuming his trail of kisses as his lips slipped down her neck. He kissed that place that was his alone and for a moment the vampire within roared with the possession of this woman in their arms. Audrey shivered as she sensed the vampire’s presence and turned her head so that kisses could pay homage to the cherished spot.

Jasper’s fingers traced down her neck and glided over her collar bone, coming to rest on the top button of her shirt. He deftly unbuttoned it and bent to kiss the exposed skin, as if it were a reward for his labor. One by one each button relinquished its hold and Jasper continued the kisses, accompanied by the soft sighs that escaped from deep within Audrey’s throat. 

He stood up and removed his clothes, his eyes never breaking contact with Audrey’s. This was comfortable for them; this was what they were meant to do. As Jasper sank down on the bed, he felt the bed bounce for a moment and saw Travis and Plato, sitting on the bed and curiously watching them. He groaned and looked at the two who had both settled down, curled up to watch the action.

“Out!” he scolded. “NOW you two. Go on, I mean it.” Two pairs of unblinking eyes watched him, not at all used to him raising his voice in their presence. Travis lifted a paw and delicately began to lick it and then washed his face with it. Jasper let a growl out and Plato laid his ears back in protestation.

Audrey laughed.

Jasper’s gaze caught hers, the earlier ardor faded considerably. “Jasper, they’re just cats,” she said. “They’re just lying there for heaven’s sake!” She had the temerity to laugh again and his quickly masked silver glance at her struck her as really funny. Bubbling laughter burst forth and she laughed so hard tears streaked her face. Finally she got up and grabbed one cat in each arm and headed to the living room, both cats showing their displeasure with various mews of outrage. She sat them both down on the couch and went back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Jasper immediately heard them both scratching at the offending door and saw two paws under the door as if trying to grab hold of the door and pull it open.

“Now, where were we?” she asked, straddling Jasper and placing kisses over his neck and chest.

“Where were we? About to find a new home for those two troublemakers, that’s where we were,” he told her, still not completely mollified since the two cats were now howling loudly. 

“Forget about them Jasper,” she said, standing up and slowly removing her bra and then sliding the zipper of her jeans down, very slowly. He could hear each tooth separate and licked his lips in anticipation. When she was down to her panties he pulled her to him and a deep, throaty growl escaped, this time in pleasure.

Cats? What cats?

):(

Raven pulled between the gates at Murphy’s house, make that mansion in the hills and stopped the Maserati in the parking area. There were numerous vehicles already parked there and she wondered if others were going to be a dinner as well as herself.

Almost before she rang the door bell the door was opened by Murphy and one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in surprise. Murphy only grinned at her, loving the fact that she was obviously surprised. She was dressed in a business suit, Vera Wang he believed that while very appropriate for the office was still very feminine. She slipped out of the jacket revealing a soft white silk shell underneath. The suit itself was a deep twilight blue that went perfectly with Raven’s coloring. 

“Come in Raven, welcome back,” he told her as she walked past him and looked around. The foyer was huge, with a sitting area off to the right and the floors and steps leading upstairs were sort of a mottled white and cream color. The night of Clarke’s turning she hadn’t paid much attention to the house, but it really was quite lovely she decided. Modern, sophisticated yet it had a certain air of charm. It was a difficult situation to carry off because often times modern was cold and sterile and this room wasn’t.

“So, Murphy, where is Franklin? Surely you can’t manage without him?” she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice. Actually she liked Franklin a great deal; he had been very kind to her that night. She wanted to ask whether Franklin was a given name or a surname but felt it would be considered to rude.

“I believe he is setting up the table on the terrace; he seemed to think that would be the perfect setting for dinner,” he told her, leading the way down a hallway that led to the back of the house. They walked through double French doors and stepped out onto a smooth flagstone terrace with a creamy colored marble balustrade edging it with steps leading down to an expansive garden to the far right. He heard Raven expel a soft breath when she saw it; he felt the same way because it was beautiful. Various plants were arranged in different areas, usually with seating amongst them. To the far left stood a bower seat with a fragrant climbing trellis overhead. The scent of the flowers was quite heady, even to human noses he was sure.

“Miss Reyes,” Franklin greeted her with a slight bow. “Welcome. May I seat you?” At her nod he settled her into a comfortable seat and asked, “Would you care for a cocktail or another beverage before dinner? Cook tells me it will be ready in about 10 minutes. May I take your jacket?”

She nodded and handed it to him and said, “A very cold glass of white wine would be lovely, perhaps a pro secco, dry and light?” He nodded and walked away as Murphy took the seat across from her.

“Do we know what’s on the menu?” she asked Murphy, still taking in the beauty of the surroundings. It was cooler the past couple of days and there was a slight breeze as well tonight that made this seem an idyllic setting.

“Not a clue,” he laughed. Franklin brought out two glasses of wine, a red cabernet for Murphy and the chilled white for Raven. She accepted it happily and took a sip; it was wonderful she decided. Under the table she kicked her heels off and wiggled her toes with a sigh. Maybe this would be a pleasant evening after all.

They chatted about the new security platform that was going to be installed at Murphy Industries in less than 2 weeks. “Really Murphy, it’s quite revolutionary and you will be pleased at its capabilities.” She was interrupted as Franklin carried in a tray with her first course.

He sat a cup of tomato bisque soup in front of her and as soon as the scent rose to her nose her mouth started to water in anticipation. Murphy and Franklin both heard her stomach rumble and both men were pleased that she was apparently hungry. “May I,” he said, indicating the napkin and at her nod he placed it lightly in her lap.

“Thank you Franklin. Um, this smells delicious!” She picked up her spoon, prepared to take a bite and saw that both men were staring at her. Caught, they both hastily looked away as she tasted her first mouthful of the delicious soup. “It tastes as good at it smells,” she told them, no longer shy about continuing to eat. She had missed lunch that day due to non-stop meetings. She could only hope that the rest of the meal was as tasty as this.

They talked of mundane topics while Raven enjoyed her meal. The second course was a spinach salad, with strawberries and walnuts in it topped by a light vinaigrette and crumbled bleu cheese. The next course was two small lamb chops, grilled in garlic butter with roasted asparagus. Dessert was a tiny pots de crème, rich and smooth, the chocolate topped with real whipped cream was the perfect ending to the meal.

While she ate her meal Murphy sipped his dinner, enjoying her appreciation of the food. All the meals were planned by a nutritionist to supply the necessary nutrients that the girls needed, and the necessary calories as well. One thing that Murphy made clear to all the girls was if they were going to live and work for him, they would eat a balanced diet. The first hint of an eating disorder and they were gone – with the proper emotional support of course.

He had to admit that he found it interesting to watch humans eat. Their likes and dislikes and choices were really quite amusing to him. Let them go back and try living in the early 17th century and they’d see a whole different side of food. For one thing, it was greatly limited in variety and for many people quality and quantity. Not where he grew up; his father was a wealthy Irish Lord, but even their diet was limited. The sad truth was that the higher you were socially, the richer, fattier, sweeter and unhealthier the fare was. The peasants ate dark brown bread, simple roasted meats usually without the rich sauces and lots of vegetables, which the aristocracy wouldn’t normally eat. It was amazing how things had changed over the centuries.

As Franklin took the last of her dinner dishes away she sat back with a contented sigh. “My goodness, that was wonderful,” she declared. “Your girls are quite lucky, having your chef cook for them. He is a jewel!”

“Yes, he takes care of them quite well. Of course, he is also handsomely paid to do it.”

“Um, I see,” she said with a grin. “Do you miss eating? Food I mean?”

He sat back in his chair and thought about that for a moment. “No, not really but I really don’t remember much about it. It must have been pretty forgettable. One thing I do know is that we didn’t have the variety that is available today.”

Raven thought about societies of the time which were limited to local offerings; no running out for pizza or Chinese. Of course, you don’t miss what you never had but still the thought of it was stifling. She said as much to Murphy and he laughed.

“True enough. I remember roasted meat, usually swimming in some sort of gravy, potatoes, turnips, lettuces, that kind of thing. Probably very boring, but then again maybe not.” He shrugged as she spoke the last words. He picked his glass up and took another sip and quickly licked away a stray drop that lingered on his lip. Raven saw the gesture and stared, lost for a moment in the sensual action.

She hastily looked away and said, “I wonder how Clarke is doing drinking blood? I have such a hard time imagining her being able to give up Kung Pao, extra spicy!”

A pained look crossed Murphy face for a moment followed by a frown. “Murphy, what’s wrong?”

“It’s all my fault you know; that it happened. Sometimes I wonder if she and Bellamy can ever forgive me. As a good friend of mine says, if I want something done I need to do it myself; outsourcing rarely works well.”

“Murphy, you know that’s not true; she isn’t unhappy at all being a vamp now. She really wanted it you know and was worried that in the end Bellamy might not be able to turn her, even though he promised he would.”

Murphy suddenly stood up and went to stand by the balustrade, leaning his elbows on it and staring out and the darkening sky. He clasped his hands together, a seemingly casual pose but it was anything but. The guilt was really overwhelming at times.

He was so caught up in the guilt and the pain that he didn’t hear Raven come to stand beside him. She reached out a hand and laid it on his; it rested there for a moment before she became conscious of what she had done and pulled it quickly away. “She doesn’t blame you Murphy,” she repeated quietly.

He looked at her; her chocolate eyes sharply concerned in the enveloping cloak of the night. “I hope not Raven. I – I don’t know what I’d do without them in my life,” he said, letting his honesty rule for once. 

He cared about them so much she could tell – loved them even and this new unbidden thought startled her. Murphy it seems was not the man she thought he was when they first met. 

“Raven, may I ask you something?” 

His earnest question appealed to her and so she said, “You can ask. I may answer, or not.”

“Why, you at first, um, why are you, were you scared of vampires?” It was something that had bothered him from the first time he had met her in Tokyo. Roan was silent about it and Murphy knew him well enough to know that whatever the reason was, it wasn’t because of him.

Everything that happened in Tokyo rushed back at her, almost taking her breath away. She hadn’t told anyone, other than Clarke and Cami. She wasn’t sure she had the courage to speak of it to a male vampire, to say the words. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth but nothing came out immediately. 

Murphy saw the pain that was etched across her face and said, “It’s okay Raven, you don’t have to tell me – I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s okay. I had been in Tokyo about a year and was at one of Roan’s client parties. The room was really smoky and I went out to walk in the gardens for a little while. After a half an hour or so I walked around the east wing of the house and entered through a door there. That was the area of the house were the conference rooms were. For uh, conferences and oth-other things.” She pulled in a deep breath and let it out in a shaky stream.

Murphy could hear her heart pounding in her chest, and he wanted to beg her to stop, to not think about it but she continued with the story.

“Two men came down the hall as I slipped in the door and headed straight for me. I tried to side-step them, but they pushed me up against the wall. They were speaking in rapid Japanese; I had a hard time following them because I was still learning the language. One of them grabbed my arm and started sniffing it and they continued to talk. He – he started to lick it and I saw his fangs. I – I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and I screamed. And screamed more and louder when I felt his fangs graze my arm, scratching it. The next thing I know Roan pulled him off me and I heard a loud snap and he was dead. The other man was yelling at Roan, but he wasn’t listening; his eyes were silver, and he also had fangs. Before I knew it, he too was dead and Roan was carrying me into one of the rooms. That night I learned about vampires.”

“You weren’t afraid of Roan?”

“No, he rescued me. I – I knew him, you know? I didn’t think he would hurt me. And he never has; he has answered my questions and done his best to protect me, even bringing Cami here from New York to help me relax around vampires.”

Murphy was quiet for a moment, remembering the night they met. He hadn’t vamped out around her or anything and he wondered out loud how she had realized he was a vampire so quickly.

“Your hands, when you shook my hand, yours was really cold, compared to humans of course. Mostly though, you were a player, I could tell and I don’t like players.” She finished with a cheeky smile and he responded in kind.

“Ah, I was outed then,” he teased. The moment was a bit lighter and he was thankful for that.

“Yes. When I got to LA and found you here, I was so angry to see you and know that I would have to continue to see you because of your friendship with Bellamy and Clarke.”

“Um, sorry about that. I hope at least that you don’t hate me any longer. I know I can be a bit of an ass at times, but I’m really a nice guy – a big softie really.” The words were spoken in jest but they were truer than he wanted anyone to know.

“Yeah, with BIG fangs…” she said. She took a deep breath; the flowers on the terrace were exuding a wonderful fragrance that graced the evening with a heady bouquet.

He laughed at her words and asked one final question, the big one he had been avoiding all evening. “Raven, you know of course that Roan gets here in a few days and I am having a party to celebrate the new computer system that King has designed. Would you be my hostess that evening?”

“Been holding that one back all night, haven’t you Murphy?” She let out a long exaggerated breath and added, “I HATE things like this but if I must.”

“You don’t have to do anything but wear a fabulous dress and show up, I promise. Thor is handling all the arrangements. It will be here and you obviously know your way, but I would be more than happy to send a car for you.”

“Not necessary,” she told him, slipping her shoes back on. “With that I think it’s time for me to say goodnight.” 

Just like that the pain and sadness of her confession had been hidden away, almost as if she had been ashamed to speak the words, but he knew better than that. Raven wasn’t used to letting anyone in; he understood that because he wasn’t either.

After thanking Franklin for all his attention and asking him to pass along her thanks and compliments to the chef Murphy walked her to her car. As she pulled through the gates and turned on to the main road he sighed. They had talked tonight, really talked yet things felt more awkward than before. 

One step forward, two steps backward it seemed.

…


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cami is walking on air after her date with Wells. Raven reflects on her evening with Murphy and regrets telling him so much about herself. Clarke learns a valuable lesson when she fails to listen to Bellamy and Tim discovers a curious thing about both Bellamy and Clarke.
> 
> A little over half-way through this story. Thanks so much for the kudo's and comments. They keep me going.

Chapter 14

Matthew Richards sat back in his chair and scowled at the telephone. Detective Fiorentino hadn’t returned his calls and wasn’t answering them either and Matt didn’t like being thwarted. Where was the typical curiosity that humans normally exhibited? An ADA and now a detective, both who chose to ignore the list? Who might be next; would anyone care to investigate the people and the relationships represented on it? Of course, quite a few vamp and human names weren’t on it, those who belonged to the Equalizers, his group that would ultimately be the victor in the struggle between humankind and vampires.

The vampires and the Legion worked together to keep the peace; an unholy alliance at best. An alliance that was never meant to be. VALA (Vampire and Legion Alliance) sought to keep the secret, in order to maintain a semblance of peace and harmony in the world and that wasn’t what vampires were about, or at least it didn’t use to be. Vampires were superior creatures; stronger, faster, more deadly than any ordinary human could imagine. VALA worked to keep vampires from fulfilling their destinies and Matt was determined to change that; he just wanted to do it without bringing attention to the Equalizers. He wanted to ‘out’ the vampires ensuring panic among the human population but that was going to be difficult to do if a human wouldn’t bite on it. They were an unpredictable and detestable species at best and evidently afraid of their own shadows.

The Equalizers had human members in their ranks; desperate humans willing to betray their own species any way necessary in order to be allowed to be turned. Over the centuries, he had strung them along until most of them died off, still praying for the miracle of forever at his hands. He would often laugh as they lay on their death beds, pleading for him to turn them and then turning to God for forgiveness when they realized that their dream wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t know if God - if there were such a being - answered those prayers of forgiveness but then again, it mattered not at all to him. They were merely instruments he used to create his vision of what the future should look like, nothing more.

His mind skipped back to get a human to sound the alarm. Sure, they could publicly rip a few people apart for the press but that wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as watching the insidious fear of vampires take over humans who were weak and superstitious; they would run for the hills in fear and panic and the vampires would be waiting.

 _Oh yes, they’d be waiting_.

):(

The morning after her date with Wells Cami walked into work with a smile on her face. Raven saw her and thought she almost glowed with happiness, something that wasn’t easily achieved by a vampire. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Raven had difficulty getting motivated this morning; her conversation with Murphy last night still weighing heavily on her mind.

She hadn’t meant to tell him so much; it felt like peeling her soul bare and it scared her that he knew so much. Why on earth had she said so much to him? What had he ever done to earn her trust so that she felt that it was okay to let him see her fear, her pain?

He’d gave Bellamy and Clarke a magnificent wedding, true enough and immediately took over when Clarke had been turned as well. So he cared about them both? He felt as if it was his entire fault, what had happened, but Raven didn’t think that was true. He evidently had a conscience, something that she thought was probably rare among vampires; it was pretty scarce among humans come to think of it.

She thought of Roan, Cami, Bellamy and Jasper; they were good people, vampires. They worked like any human would to make something of their lives, of the lives of their loved ones. It was easy to like them, to feel comfortable with them and trust them as well. So why was it so hard to trust Murphy? 

She sat at her desk, staring out the window as she sipped her second cup of coffee, or maybe she should say coffee creamer with a little coffee mixed in for color as she considered that question. She felt tired, worn down which probably had to do with the fact that she hadn’t gotten more than an hour or so of sleep last night. Murphy just seemed to reverberate around in her head and no amount of scotch or tossing and turning had helped her. The middle of the night was the loneliest time of all when you can’t sleep and unbidden thoughts haunted you. 

Why did she keep seeing his smile, his kindness? His vulnerability when he confessed his guilt about Clarke? Those were things she didn’t want to see; she didn’t want to feel bad about it, wanted to push it all out of her head. She wanted a Murphy – free life!

Her silent reverie was interrupted by a knock on her door and she uttered, “Come in,” wondering who it was. 

Cami popped her head in the door and said, “Are you busy?” Her smile radiated a mile wide, making her beautiful face look positively angelic. It was hard to be grumpy when Cami was so happy.

“So, the date went well, huh? Did you get a little?” Raven teased.

“A little what?” Cami asked, not sure what that meant.

Raven mentally rolled her eyes, for a hundred-year-old vampire what she didn’t know was epic. “It means, see a little action, do the wild thing?” At Cami’s blank stare she sighed and said, “Have sex?”

Cami’s eyes got as big as saucers and she blanched, if that were possible for a vampire. Her quick negative shake of her head said it all. “No, we’ve only just met Raven.”

Raven had to remember that when Cami was turned, she and Edmund, her new husband were on their honeymoon, heading to South Africa to be missionaries. Between that and her Victorian upbringing Cami knew little of men or the modern world, as impossible as that seemed.

Raven smiled and quickly changed the subject, sort of. “So it went well?”

“Oh yes, it was wonderful. Wells is such a gentleman Raven!”

Cami’s face had taken on a dreamy quality and it made Raven happy to see it. Wells was a nice guy, but she also had memories of the wild parties and times that they had at college and she hoped that he had honestly changed and wasn’t just putting on an act for Cami. She decided that the talked about lunch date with Wells needed to happen soon.

“He’s asked me out again, for Saturday night. We’re going to go to a baseball game!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that Cami; all that sun can’t be good for you.”

“It’s a night game, he made sure to tell me that, which I thought was sweet.”

“So you told him you were a vampire?” Raven hadn’t expected that.

“No, he was just being considerate I think.”

Now why would Wells be concerned about Cami being in the sun? It was a curious thought. Could he know something that no one suspected he knew? Clarke mentioned in the past that Finn had told Wells that Bellamy was a vampire but that Wells had thought he was crazy. Maybe not she decided.

“Well, that’s good but Cami, he is a cop so guard what you say around him, okay?”

“Could he know about me, about vampires? Do you think he’s trying to trap me into a confession, like they do on tv?” Cami asked. She was suddenly not sure if she wanted to go to the baseball game.

“I don’t think that would be Wells’ style; I really do think he likes you Cami. I saw his face when you came into the office the other day. Just go slow and see what happens, that’s the best advice I can give you.”

Cami nodded, the smile back on her face as she stood up. “I need to get to work; we’re only 9 days out from the Murphy project and we still have some issues to take care of. I hear that Murphy is planning a gala event to celebrate it.”

Raven almost groaned at the reminder. “Yes, he is. Last night he asked me to be his hostess at it.”

“My, that sounds fun, but an awful lot of work I’m sure.”

“His assistant is doing all the planning; he told me all I have to do is show up and ‘wear a fabulous dress’, his words, not mine.”

Cami heard her mutter ‘chauvinistic jerk’ under her breath and smiled. Her friend had it bad for Murphy but hadn’t figured it out yet. One day she would and Cami definitely wanted to be around when that happened. With a quick wave she left the office, her mind on the pile of paperwork on the desk. Well, mostly anyway.

):(

Bellamy and Clarke sat sipping their ‘dinner’ in the kitchen, talking about her mother. Clarke was anxious to see her and not just on skype. She felt that she was missing an important part of Abby’s life and she really wanted to go home.

“C’mon Bellamy, how dangerous could I be with my own mother for heaven’s sake?” she said, her voice taking on a pouty tone.

“Look Clarke, I have no idea how you’ll react around humans and besides that, we still have other things to cover. You’re impulsive at best and that makes you dangerous, to yourself and others as well. No, it’s out of the question.” He watched huge tears well up on her eyes and sighed. “Clarke, I do understand. What I’m trying to make you understand is that you might not have enough control and I don’t want you having to live with those memories if something were to happen.”

“Like something happened to you Bellamy? What happened? You can’t expect me to understand if you don’t explain it to me.”

He still hated revealing any of those early days with her. She might not think he was a monster but he certainly felt monstrous at some of the things he had done. What information could she benefit from and what would change her feelings for him? Each day it was harder to hide it all from her because he had long ago accepted that he couldn’t hide it from himself.

She sat waiting patiently, understanding the inner struggle that he was having. He thought he had done terrible things, things that made him a monster, but she believed that the monster he saw was only in his estimation. Guilt corrupts a person’s soul, whether it is justified or not. Frankly, Clarke couldn’t imagine what he had went through with Echo as a sire, but she was willing to listen and not judge him. Bellamy had been the best sire imaginable for her; patient, loving, understanding, providing her with everything she needed – except for a ticket home. They’d been in Seattle for two weeks and he’d first told her a month but she doubted if they’d get back to LA by then either.

“Bellamy?” she said softly, stroking his hand to try to comfort him. He was reliving something from his past and it was visibly upsetting him. “Tell me. I won’t judge you or hate you.”

His hazel eyes grew dark as he stepped back into the past. It was obviously hard for him to speak, but he did his best. “I woke up, after she turned me; I was covered in blood and it felt sticky and the smell of it overwhelmed me. I couldn’t imagine what I had done and then I saw the puncture marks on my neck, and I knew, I knew that my world had changed.” He swallowed hard, trying to get the words out and Clarke moved to sit on his lap, hoping that holding him would give him courage to tell the story.

“She said it was a gift, the most precious gift she could give me. I ran away, hid away from the sunlight, from her, from Echo. She tracked me down eventually and I was hurting, badly. I wasn’t sure what was wrong but as soon as she brought a woman over to me, the scent of her blood made me crazy. I begged Echo to kill me because I knew that if she didn’t that I would hurt the woman. Echo said she couldn’t, that I didn’t want that, but I did, I really did,” he told her, the pain of the memory palpable. Silent tears ran down his cheeks unimpeded and Clarke was silent, letting him get it out.

“I – I grabbed her and pulled her to me. She was whimpering, scared to death and I knew that once I bit her I wouldn’t stop. I felt like a caged animal, desperate to feed, to drink her blood and then I sank my fangs into her, listening to Echo telling me how good I was doing. She spoke as if I were a child, encouraging me to eat my dinner or something. I drained her Clarke; I took that young woman’s life without a thought other than satisfying my own hunger. It didn’t matter who she was because all I could think of was the blood. I can’t let that happen to you Clarke, I just…can’t.”

“Bellamy, I understand, I do. So let’s just focus on my training, okay? Whatever it takes we’ll just do it. But sooner or later I’m going to have to be around a human Bellamy, there’s no other way.” Clarke understood betrayal much better than Bellamy could reckon. In college she’d has a brief affair with Lexa who used her and betrayed her by spitefully taking another woman to her bed to show Clarke just that she could. 

He nodded, knowing what she said was true; he also knew that he had bought a little more time before they found out. No matter what, it scared him. He took an unneeded breath and said, “Hey, let’s walk over to Tim and Mary’s and see if you can hang out with her tomorrow afternoon while the satellite guy is here setting up the tv in the workout room. How does that sound?”

She smiled, knowing that he was trying to move past the sadness and regrets. “Good – it sounds good.” She leaned down and kissed him, softly at first and then moaning as the kiss deepened. “You know, tomorrow you could try and let me stay here, put me in the bedroom or something.” She ran a finger down his nose and then his lips and followed it with another kiss.

“No, I’d have to watch you the whole time, just in case. Not yet Clarke.”

“You could handcuff me to the headboard you know. Take my clothes away, just to show me who’s boss. I’d just have to lie there, waiting for you,” she whispered into his ear teasingly.

Her words sent a shiver up his spine and for a moment he considered carrying her upstairs right away but finally shook it off. “Baby, I love your teasing, but we have a mission tonight. Come on,” he said, setting her off of his lap and standing up.

She’d tried, she thought. Besides, anytime they went outside she grew excited because the outside world almost vibrated with life as far as she was concerned. Every sound, from the wind whispering through the pines to sounds of small and not so small animals scampering away from danger thrilled her, made her feel so alive, that was the only way she could describe it. It was funny that she had to die to feel this way. It still seems strange to consider that her body had died because this really didn’t feel like dead.

As soon as they stepped outside she drew in a deep breath and exhaled as if to expel all the negative thoughts she had within her. Her skin tingled with the life that surrounded her and she scented the air appreciatively. She could smell the apples in the orchard, which would be ready for picking soon, and several deer that were close by. A bat flew overhead in the dusk and the flapping of its wings sounded like a rapid drumbeat. The sound she loved the most though was the sound of the water rushing to shore. Tonight they were walking in the opposite direction but it was still loud.

They walked along the path, hand in hand and Clarke tried to reach out around her and see what she could sense. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes, listening and scenting the world around her. 

Bellamy watched her, amazed at how well she could focus; she gave herself over to the task completely. She lifted her head and her eyes opened as she looked up high into the canopy above them. The trees here were really old and close to a hundred feet tall. Towering giants, they offered shade from a brutal sun, shelter from storms and a deep fascination for his wife. A second before she did it he knew what she was going to do; he reached for her but it was too late, she had jumped high up into the tree.

And just as quickly, about 30 feet above him her head hit a branch. He listened as she screamed in pain and plummeted down to the ground, the scream continuing until the final thump. 

Her head had a long, deep gash in it; if she were human it would require stitches but he knew that it would heal quickly. When he looked down her body he saw that her left leg was bent at a 45 degree angle, outwards. Definitely not good.

She tried to struggle to her feet as Tim and Mary arrived. “We heard her scream Bellamy, what happened?”

“She decided to play superman and jump a tall tree. The tree won.” Clarke tried again to get up and Bellamy gently pushed her back down. “Clarke, your leg is broken, I have to try and straighten it so it can heal. Lie still.”

Mary was kneeling by Clarke’s head, examining the head would and mumbling words that Bellamy couldn’t understand. Probably just as well, she most likely was cursing him for not paying better attention. Tim was already pulling the leg of her jeans up so they could get a better look at the break. When he saw it Bellamy blanched because part of the bone was sticking through the skin.

“Come on Bellamy, help me. We have to move quickly here.”

Bellamy swallowed and nodded, holding her knee steady as Tim suggested. Mary watched and said, “Clarke, this is going to hurt but it will be over soon. Take a deep breath, okay?”

Clarke nodded and felt Tim pull hard on her leg, snapping it back into place. The pain was blinding for a few moments, like nothing she had ever experienced before but soon it ebbed away until her leg had mended. Finally she was able to sit up and she smiled at Tim and Mary, thanking them for their help.

Bellamy hadn’t said a word for a few minutes and Clarke could see that he was mad, beyond mad at her impetuousness. This wasn’t going to be pleasant later, that was for sure. She looked at him and said, “Bellamy, I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you.”

“Clarke, what they hell did you think you were doing? How many times have I told you that you have to be patient and that I’ll teach you these things?” His eyes met hers as she stared intently at him and he felt bad, really bad for yelling at her in front of Tim and Mary. “I’m sorry Clarke, I shouldn’t have yelled. Are you okay?”

Tim watched the exchange with interest. Clarke was using allure on him and he didn’t seem to realize it, but Tim also wasn’t sure if she knew what she was doing. One look at him was all it took to take him from blazing anger to contrite apology. Pretty interesting actually. 

Tim held out a hand to help Clarke up and as she came to her feet she grinned and thanked him. “Wow, that was a lesson I won’t forget. Hey Mary, we were walking over to your place to see if you can babysit me tomorrow afternoon while the satellite guy is here?”

“You’re not going to be jumping anything are you?” Mary asked with a laugh.

“Nope, think I’ve learned my lesson tonight.”

“Well come on over then. I’m going to be making apple butter out of the last of the dried apples before the new crop comes in. I’d appreciate the help.”

Clarke smiled and hugged her, looking forward to the girl time. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” She and Bellamy both waved at them and headed on back to the house. Not another word was said about the incident and Clarke couldn’t help but wonder why that was. Still, if he was willing to let it go so was she.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi darlings. Yes, the story is back. I'm so sorry for the delay, but I promise we are going back to a regular schedule now. I've been dealing with a family crisis and I won't bore you with it, but it's been very hard on us. 
> 
> This chapter, Raven and Wells go to lunch, both with an information seeking agenda. Will either of them get what they need to know? Who knows. :D Clarke helps Mary to make apple butter but shocks everyone in the process. I hope you enjoy it. Please, kudo's and comments keep me going.

Chapter 15

Wells dialed Raven’s number, realizing that it was only an hour or so before noon, but he hoped he might be able to score a lunch date anyway since he was in the general vicinity of her office. To his surprise she answered almost right away and agreed to go. He made arrangements to pick her up in front of her building in 45 minutes and ended the call with satisfaction.

He didn’t know how much information she would give him about Clarke, but he was hopeful that it might be enough to track them down. Of course, he tried to ignore it but he also was curious what Cami had thought about him. He felt as green and inexperienced as a high school boy playing the ‘but does she like me or does she like like me?’ game.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Cami; she made him feel alive for the first time in years, maybe ever really. He felt in tune with her and so comfortable when he was near her that it was almost scary. He’d really only met the woman and yet he was already ready to surrender himself to her. He didn’t understand it and he could only hope that it didn’t kick him in the ass, a broken heart he didn’t want or need.

He’d been engaged a couple of years ago, but that had ended when Clarisse decided that he couldn’t spend as much time with her as she needed; and boy did she need – constantly. He could never go more than an hour or two at the most before she was calling or texting, not understanding why he couldn’t always respond immediately. The tears, the fights had just gotten to be too much in the end. To say that it was not an amicable parting would be a huge understatement; he never wanted to go through anything like that again. 

At the appointed time Wells pulled up in front of the Billings Market building and saw Raven walking towards him. So typical for Raven, she looked professional and hot at the same time. Her suit was fuchsia colored, a slim skirt and bolero jacket that looked perfect on her. Her lips matched the color and yet still looked natural. He didn’t understand the mysteries of makeup, but Raven apparently knew her stuff.

He put the car into park and got out to open the door for her but she beat him to it, sliding into the unmarked police car with a grin. “I’m not helpless you know Wells; never have been!”

He laughed, remembering well how independent she always was. “Okay, okay, I get it. Mexican okay with you?”

She might have known; this was typical Wells. “Sure, but none of those little taco stands; I want to go in and sit down to eat, got it?” she laughed.

“Yes ma’am! No taco stand; actually, I have the perfect place in mind.” He signaled and pulled out into the flow of traffic smoothly and eventually moved to the far left lane so that he could make a turn. A few minutes of idle chatter later they parked in front of a small bodega. 

Raven’s eyebrows rose sky high as she peered out of the windshield and she said, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Wells?” she asked as he opened the door for her to get out of the sedan.

“Just don’t judge a book by its cover because looks can be deceiving,” he teased, leading the way into the small market. They walked towards the back of the store and out a swinging door into a small garden set with a few tables. There was a trellis growing overhead full of colorful bougainvillea in every shade of purple and pink imaginable. The small patio space was shaded and fragrant, both with the flowering trellis and the rich, spicy smells of the food that was being served.

The day’s offerings were written on a white board with colorful markers and Raven perused the choices before deciding on grilled tilapia with fresh mango lime and pepper salsa and a jicama salad. Wells opted for fire-roasted rolled tacos with extra hot Pico de Gallo sauce. Even the smell of it burned Raven’s nose. Both dishes were served with homemade corn tortillas, hot off the grill and tender and delicious.

Wells watched as Raven’s nose wrinkled as she smelled the peppery Pico de Gallo and he grinned; in college Raven was notorious for shying away from the spicy foods that he and Clarke lived on. Anytime they offered her some she always asked about the heat level. Either you could handle it, or you couldn’t and Raven definitely couldn’t.

Wells had thought over his strategy for asking questions and was totally unaware that Raven too had a strategy. She was curious as to why he was so considerate about Cami and sunlight. Not that Wells wasn’t a considerate guy because he always had been, but this seemed curious to her although she was willing to admit that it most likely was just coincidence, maybe due to Cami’s fair complexion and blonde hair.

“Still can’t handle the hot stuff, huh Raven?” he asked, taking a bit of the taco after he had spooned some of the sauce over it.

“Some things just don’t change you know. And besides, hot I can handle, but that stuff you and Clarke eat demands a whole new description for the word.” Her own grilled tilapia was exceptional, grilled to perfection and the sauce was a delicious accompaniment to it. She took another fork full and chewed it thoughtfully for a moment before adding, “Murphy told me that Bellamy had recently tried Kung Pao, extra spicy and about died in the process. The server at the restaurant finally had to give him milk to help him it was so bad. I believe Murphy said Bellamy’s words were, “This is fucking dangerous!” She didn’t feel at all bad about the little white lie that distorted Bellamy’s actual words, it was still funny.

The words gave Wells pause; Bellamy could eat food? Could Cami? “I didn’t know that Bellamy could eat. Chinese food I mean,” he hurriedly added. 

Her eyes looked startled for a moment but she made a fast recovery. “Not Kung Pao extra spicy he doesn’t,” she said with a silly grin and a shrug. “So, what do you think of my god son? And be careful what you say…” she laughed.

“He’s a fine looking boy. I stopped by the hospital the day after he was born and admired him. Harper and Monty are pretty proud of that little bundle and rightly so. I mentioned Clarke and the whole temperature cooled about 20 degrees in that room though. What’s up with that?”

Raven tried to choose her words carefully, there were too many questions that could lead to other, unwanted ones. “She’s upset that Clarke wasn’t here for the birth; she and Clarke skyped during it, but it wasn’t the same. When Jordan was born Clarke missed it and promised to be there for the next one.”

“So why didn’t she just come back for this one?” 

Raven suddenly looked down at her plate so that he couldn’t read her face. She took a long moment to choose another piece of fish while she composed herself. After she chose one she popped it into her mouth, giving her another few moments. “I think she and Bellamy are working on a project there that they couldn’t get away from.” She took a sip of her iced tea and waited for his reply.

“Um, well I understand that. Have you ever been to their house up there? In Seattle is it?”

“No, but when they get ready to come back to LA I hope to talk Murphy into flying the jet up there so I can see it; it’s quite large and beautiful I’ve heard. It’s not in Seattle proper though, Murphy said it’s across Puget Sound and you can see Seattle I think.”

Wells noticed that she had mentioned John Murphy’s name 3 times in the past couple of minutes. He wondered if there was more to that story. Maybe Cami knew. He had to laugh at himself- grilling Raven about Clarke and Cami and Cami about Raven. “So how does an LA boy end up with a house up there? Relative leave it to him or something?”

“No, I think he bought it himself; I know he lived up there for awhile.”

“Really? He’s been a PI here for quite a while.”

“Yeah, I think maybe 10 years or so ago. Not sure.”

So he might have been a PI there too. It was a lead; a couple of leads actually that would hopefully lead to some answers. He decided to switch topics. “So, did Cami say anything about our date?”

Raven laughed, she knew this was coming sooner or later. “Why yes, she did!”

Wells waited while Raven took another bite, but she didn’t offer anything more, thereby making him prompt for more details. He knew how to play this game! “Did she enjoy herself?”

“Why yes, I believe she did.” She looked at him over the rim of her iced tea glass and saw that he was practically dying of curiosity; maybe it was time to end the torture and besides, she had a few things to say. “She was very excited about it Wells. And she’s looking forward to the next one. Why did you pick a night game anyway?”

“Why, does it matter?” he countered.

“No, just most games are day games is all.”

“Yes, but this is a date, so I thought a night game would be a bit more romantic.”

“A baseball game romantic? Wells, you need a bit of educating in the love arena!”

“Hey, it will be relaxed and fun. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Yes, I guess so. You know Wells, Cami is pretty inexperienced in the dating world. You need to go slow with her.”

“Well, a baseball game is hardly intimate. I can tell she’s pretty shy, which I have to say is a bit surprising; the girl is beautiful. It’s hard to imagine that she isn’t going out constantly.”

“I don’t believe that she has had a date since her ex husband. You have to understand Wells, they were missionaries, on their way to South Africa on their honeymoon, when they were basically captured by pirates.”

Wells assumed that it was Somali pirates; they were much in the headlines the past few years. He couldn’t help but wonder what Cami might have suffered at their hands. “I understand Raven; I won’t push her, okay? I really like her and want to see where this goes.”

“Like her or like like her?” Raven teased. She could have sworn that Wells blushed. All in all, it was a great lunch. When he dropped her off a little while later they made plans to do it again. And she couldn’t wait to tell Cami that he liked liked her!

):(

When Clarke got to Mary and Tim’s the smell of apples filled the air, delighting the senses. Mary was in the kitchen, stirring a huge stock pot full of apples and apple juice. 

“Oh wow, it smells fantastic in here Mary,” she told the older woman as she stood beside her at the stove, peeking into the pot that Mary was stirring. On the counter next to her were different jars of spices, waiting until just the right moment to be added to the mixture. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“In the pantry you’ll find a large mouthed funnel that we’ll need once the apple butter is ready to go into the jars; can you get that for me please and then spread several large towels on the counter and set the sterilized jars on them?”

“Sure,” Clarke said as she gathered up everything she needed and set it up according to Mary’s instructions. She watched as Mary grated cinnamon and nutmeg into the pot, inhaling the spicy aroma with pleasure. She peered over Mary’s shoulder as she continued stirring the spices in.

“Millie Stumblingbear is coming over to help; she wants to learn how to do this. I hope you don’t mind Clarke,” Mary said, waving her hand over the simmering pot as if to better inhale the scent.

“Oh, no I don’t mind. But is she…?” she hesitated. She was so anxious to see a human, but on the other hand she was also afraid.

“Yes Clarke, she is a vampire.” Mary smiled at the young one; she was still so uncertain of things but given a bit more time she would be fine.

“Mary, how will I ever know if I can be around humans if I never am around them? I don’t understand.”

Satisfied with the simmering concoction Mary placed a lid on it and led Clarke to the table and nodded for her to sit down. “Clarke, there is no magic answer to that; usually it’s a matter of time though; time and training. Learning to control your impulses basically.”

Those words made Clarke take a good hard look at how she acted as a vampire. She did have a hard time controlling herself, last night was a perfect example but she had always been impetuous, impulsive. “But I’ve always been impulsive Mary and I’ve always found it hard to control. I’ll never get to go home…”

“Of course you will Clarke, I am sure you miss your family and friends.”

“Yes, I do. My mom is 5 months pregnant and my best friend just had a baby. I promised her that I would be there for the birth and I know she is upset with me. I need to see her and not just by skype.” 

“So you’ll tell her, about what happened?” Mary’s question was spoken quietly; Mary herself was reserved and quiet by nature and she felt as if she were prying now.

“It’s so complicated. Raven, Harper and I have been best friends since before kindergarten. We’ve done everything together. Raven found out about vampires on her own while living in Tokyo a few years ago, but Harper doesn’t have a clue. If I don’t make things right with her that friendship will be over. She is already hurt, I know that and they only way to remedy that is if I tell her. But if I do, how will she react? How did you handle it Mary, I mean, telling people you cared about?”

“Well, that was pretty simple Clarke; we didn’t tell anyone.” Seeing Clarke’s eyes open wide she reached across the table and squeezed the young vampire’s hand. “On November 29, 1864 the Colorado Militia attacked the Cheyenne and Arapaho who were united under Chief Black Kettle. It was called the Sand Creek Massacre and the battle was brutal, scattering our people. Tim was wounded and eventually turned by a warrior from another tribe; it was an act of hatred, visiting the evil on an enemy. How Tim survived those first few months, on his own I don’t know, but he did. I thought he was dead, the whole tribe did and we mourned the loss of Aenohe Nestoohe, Howling Hawk. He was a great shaman, a wise man and revered for his knowledge. Our son took his place among the tribe as he had already taken part of the Sun Dance. I was slowly dying Clarke, dying of a broken heart because I missed him so very badly. By Cheyenne custom I was allowed a morning period and then would either be married to another or forced to work for another. The Cheyenne were a very practical tribe and everyone worked and paid their own way, so to speak. One night, I heard someone slipping into my teepee and raised a knife to protect myself. I sliced across Tim’s chest as he reached me, covering my mouth so that I didn’t scream.” Mary’s eyes darkened at the memories of the past and Clarke was sure it must have been heartbreaking for her.

“I watched him heal right in front of me and eventually he removed his hand when I calmed down. I knew he was different but he explained what had happened. There was never a doubt that I would go with him. We left then, taking little with us; I didn’t, couldn’t say goodbye to our son or his family, my sisters, anyone. I think they all thought that I was overcome with grief and took the death walk, to leave this world. Instead I entered another and I’ve never regretted it; we are together and I love that man more each day I spend with him.”

Clarke nodded, touched to have heard the story. She wiped away the cool tears that traced down her face and knew that she understood how Mary felt because she felt the same way about Bellamy. It didn’t provide her with any answers about what to do about Harper though. If she chose not to tell her, their friendship would surely be over,A and it wasn’t just her that would be affected – there was Raven to consider because she would be smack in the middle of it all.

They heard a knock at the front door and Mary lifted her head, scenting the air. “It’s Millie,” she said, hurrying to the front door. Clarke heard her greet her friend and stood up in preparation to meeting her.

Millie was tall and beautiful and very friendly. She’d been turned by her husband 10 years ago and was very happy to be a vampire. She worked as a teacher on the reservation and obviously thought of Mary as a mother figure.

Mary explained the process of making the apple butter. “How you flavor it will depend on what apples you are using; some are sweeter, tarter, things like that. Some cook up better than others as well so time and practice are the best teachers – oh, and having a human around to taste for you, until you learn what it should smell like.”

All of this was so fascinating to Clarke, the apple butter that Mary had given her before, as well as the apple tarts had been seasoned to perfection. It was difficult to imagine that she did it without being able to taste it. The three of them were standing over the pot, which was almost ready. Mary held a spoonful up and sniffed it carefully and then passed it to Millie to scent. Both women inhaled deeply, their eyes closed and they let their noses guide them. Millie handed the spoon to Clarke who sniffed appreciatively. It smelled a bit different from the batch that Mary had given her before but maybe that was because she was a vampire now. Curious, Clarke stuck her finger into the mixture and brought it to her mouth to taste. The shocked look on both women’s faces was startling. 

Mary cried out, “Clarke!” but Clarke only shrugged.

“Needs a bit more cinnamon Mary. The jar you gave me before had more cinnamon in it.” Her words were spoken very matter-of-factly but both women were frowning, staring at her as if she did something terrible.

“Clarke, don’t! It will make you sick. Do you feel sick?” At Clarke’s negative shake of her head another thought occurred to her. “You can taste it?”

“Yes, I can. I don’t think it’s that surprising, I can taste coffee you know.” She scooped another taste into her mouth and swallowed slowly, savoring the flavor. “Yes, definitely a bit more cinnamon Mary.”

They heard the front door open and Tim walked in; he had been out checking the orchards. Since Bellamy didn’t live here Tim and Mary worked the orchards, with help during harvest and so Bellamy granted them the rights to the fruits of their labor. All the apple products that Mary made were sold to donate to the tribal reservation they helped to support, the rest of the crop went to market. When Tim walked into the kitchen he stopped short, staring at the looks on Mary and Millie’s faces.

“What’s wrong,” he asked, afraid something had happened.

“Clarke can taste the apple butter,” Mary said and watched as her husband’s eyes opened wide. He could only stare at Clarke, wondering what on earth was up with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are over half way through this story now - the next one is titled Barely Breathing, yes after another song title. While Clarke and Bellamy focus strongly in it, it is really a story of Murphy and Raven. It is finished and I will post it if there is enough interest. Also, the last story in the series is called Where Evil Lurks and again, Clarke and Bellamy are there in front but it is the story of Marcus and Abby, told from the time they were teenagers and from current times as they deal with what happens when the person who raped Abby becomes involved in their lives. I love the nostalgia of it, the music of their era plays a huge part in it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke finds herself in trouble after she impulsively leaves Tim and Mary's house when no one, including Bellamy believed that she could taste the food. She feels betrayed and hurt and again struggles when she can't understand their attitudes.

Clarke stormed out of Tim and Mary’s house at vamp speed, heading for the trees. She was so angry with Bellamy that for a bit she couldn’t even see straight. He didn’t believe her, believe that she could taste the apple butter or coffee. He said as much in front of the others, embarrassing her and then angering her. She ran for a few minutes, finding herself in a part of the forest that she wasn’t familiar with. She jumped into the canopy, being careful as to where she jumped this time and then climbed higher still. She perched on a sturdy branch and sucked in a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

It was humiliating, his inability to believe what she could do. He was her husband; he knew that she didn’t lie about things to him, how could he not accept what she said? She wiped a few tears off of her cheeks and blinked in the bright light. She wasn’t in direct sunlight, but it was bright, and her skin felt warm, maybe a bit too warm. She looked around, to the south was the mountains, towering over the land and to the east a bird’s eye view of Seattle proper. It was quiet and should be soothing to her, but it wasn’t. Her heart hurt; if Bellamy didn’t believe her then who would?

Suddenly she caught his scent and she looked down. He was standing below the tree, looking up at her. He looked sad she thought and for a moment she felt guilty because she knew that he had worried about her, until he found her. She truly didn’t mean to scare him but she needed some space.

“Do you mind if I come up there with you?” he asked.

“Yes, I do mind. Bellamy, I need some time, some space. Go away.”

He looked down and shook his head almost imperceptibly. “Clarke, do you know where you are? How to find the house?”

She wanted to be able to tell him yes, but she honestly couldn’t. She thought she had run south, but she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t see Tim and Mary’s house or their house. She knew she had probably run several miles but run to where? As much as she hated to admit it, she needed directions. When she told him he didn’t mock her or make fun of her, simply told her what she needed to know.

He pointed to the left and said, “You are southwest of the property, you need to head back this way, about three miles. At that point you should recognize where you are. Clarke, please be careful when you get out of that tree and come home to me, so we can talk.”

“In a while Bellamy. I’ll be careful.” He made a show of walking away, but she knew better; he was out there, keeping watch over her. He might doubt her ability to taste things, but he loved her and would make sure she was safe.

Bellamy walked a ½ mile away and then doubled back being sure to stay within the cover of the trees. He kept his footsteps quiet as he got close enough to see the tree where she was perched, even if he couldn’t see her. When she climbed down he would see it and know that she was safe.

He was worried about her; this insistence that she could taste food was dangerous for her. She was so happy to be a vamp but clinging to the trappings of humanity was something she had to move past; he just had to find a way to help her.

):(

“Murphy, its Jasper. I thought you might like an update on Katrina.”

“Only if it’s good news Jasper. Well, I suppose any news is good news. What do you have?”

“Well, it’s not the best news but it is a development. She tried to access her island bank account from an anonymous proxy server. It wouldn’t let her in of course because we changed her password, but we had put a ping on it so that we’d know if she tried.”

“What the hell is an anonymous proxy server? Speak English Jasper.” Murphy scowled as he listened to the young vampire. What he wanted to hear was that they knew exactly where Katrina was so that they could end her.

“An anonymous server makes it possible to hide your location; in other words, it shows a false IP address that can’t be tracked. Mostly…”

“What the hell do you mean ‘mostly’? Does that mean you can still find her?” 

“Well, maybe get a general location. Each anonymous server has a base location and generally, it has IP numbers that it creates. If we can use that number to find the anonymous server, we can maybe backtrack their log ins to find where it was accessed from.”

“And that will work?”

“Um, it’s a shot. Ryder is working on it as we speak. We are sure it is a South American server and since that’s where he is it might be a bit easier for him.”

“Okay, okay. Let me know? Oh, did you help Colleen?”

“We’ve got a good start on it. The most complicated thing will be getting those transcripts from the university. I’m creating false documents so that Audrey’s neighbor can go in and request copies of her transcripts. She’s the right age and thinks it’s a ‘lark’ which I assume means a caper or something. Anyway, she will go and get them and we can figure out where Colleen stands.”

“Good, thank you Jasper, I appreciate your hard work,” Murphy said, ending the call. Things were starting to fall into place; now if Katrina could just fall into their hands things would be great.

):(

Clarke sat up in that tree for several hours, until sunset. She didn’t mean to stay so long, but she got lost in her thoughts. 

She understood why Bellamy and everyone else would doubt that she could taste things; vampires lose that ability when they are turned but for some reason, strange and unbelievable as it was, she could actually taste. And she still didn’t feel sick either. She had performed the ‘blind’ taste test with Bellamy watching and then they had tested her on pear butter and the apple butter; she nailed it every time.

She could taste. Why she didn’t know, but bottom line was, she could. What it meant in vampire terms she couldn’t even begin to guess.

Was she some strange sort of vampire? Did it have to do with the fact that she had blood from 3 different vampires in her? Echo was AO-, as she was, maybe that had something to do with it? But Bellamy had Echo’s blood as well and he couldn’t taste anything so that probably wasn’t it. She didn’t know and honestly, it made her head hurt to think about it.

She looked around and saw that it was late, the sun had set and all she could see were stars. Vampire vision could be deceptive; nighttime could look like daylight but she knew that down amongst the trees it would be darker. She knew she had to go now and get back because Bellamy was undoubtedly worried about why she was up in the tree so long. Providing that she could actually find the way home and suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she could.

):(

Bellamy sat at the base of a tall tree about 200 yards away from Clarke.

He and Clarke had both pondered the same subject this evening; her ability to taste food. Whether that was a real ability or only perceived was the question.

He’d been a vamp for 50 odd years and never in all that time had he met one that could taste anything other than blood. Was it ever possible he wondered or was she trying to hang on to her humanity by the claims? What could even be worse was that she didn’t taste things but imagined that she did.

He was worried and afraid that he was not doing his job as her sire but how did he fight something like this? She believed she could, he believed she couldn’t; a clear line was being drawn and he only wanted to make it all go away. 

He could just tell her he believed her; that was the simple thing to do. If he did, would she know somehow? Could she taste his lie to her? It would certainly make him feel guilty and that might be discernable in his blood.

He didn’t want to hurt her; he did want to support her. All he had to do was find the way to do that. 

It was growing darker by the minute and he was starting to get concerned. It might be difficult for her to find her way back during the day, but at night it would be worse. He got up and moved as close as he dared, staying out of hearing and he hoped scenting distance. He could hear the tree rustling and realized that Clarke was moving down it. The thought made him happy because it meant that she wasn’t trying to jump the fifty some odd feet down to the ground. He stood hidden among the shadows and trees when he picked up a scent that wasn’t Clarke’s. 

Suddenly, the game changed and he knew she was in danger.

):(

Clarke got to a low branch and decided to make the jump down to the ground. She was still a bit cautious after yesterday’s broken leg. Even though it had healed quickly, it had still hurt terribly. She decided that she may be an impetuous and inexperienced vampire but she definitely was not a brave one. No more broken bones for her. 

At about 15 feet above the ground she decided to make the jump, landing smoothly onto the pine needle littered ground; she landed in a squat with her back to the tree. As she prepared to stand up and brush her butt off since there were bits of dirt and bark clinging to it she looked towards what she hoped was the correct direction and then caught a scent on the air that she didn’t recognize.

She lifted her head and inhaled deeply and tried reaching out with her mind to see if she could figure out what it was and where it was. She couldn’t hear a heartbeat, so it wasn’t that close, but her sense of it was that it was big. A bear maybe or cougar or wolf? They were all indigenous to the area Bellamy had told her. And all of them big enough that they might not be intimidated by the smell of a vampire. 

She closed her eyes and listened as she scented the air; there was a musky, acrid smell to it, it was definitely an animal. If she could figure out what type she might know what to do. If it were a wolf, she could climb the tree and wait for Bellamy to come for her. She still knew that he was out there; probably already aware of what was happening. If it were a cougar or bear, climbing the tree was out of the question because they could climb as easily as she could. 

_Think Clarke, think!_

):(

Bellamy tried to work his way around closer to Clarke without disturbing the cougar mom and her two cubs. The cubs made her especially dangerous because if she thought they were threatened there would be no holding her back.

The cougars don’t usually come this close to people, but he was sure that Clarke’s vampire scent brought out the predator; it wasn’t afraid of her apparently. Would it be content to keep its distance? That might depend on what Clarke did. He had to get to her quickly.

Moving as silently as possible so that he didn’t disturb Clarke or the mother cougar he circled around the back side of the trees. So far Clarke was staying still so she must have scented the cougar. He didn’t dare speak to her yet, but he prayed to whatever god was out there to keep her safe.

Suddenly he heard the cougar scream and take a few steps forward. It sliced through the air and he knew he was going to have to move fast.

):(

The shriek that split the air scared her, sending shivers up her spine. It was a cougar so that meant the tree wasn’t safe. And it was closer as well because she could hear its heartbeat now. Maybe a second and third one as well – could be a mother cougar and cubs, which just made it all worse. 

She could survive a fight with it, she was sure, but it would be terrible and she didn’t want to do it. She also didn’t want to leave a couple of cubs motherless. She tried to wrack her brain for information on cougars. Female cougars could be up to 150 pounds or so, big. They were powerful with massively strong jaws and razor sharp teeth, the better to eat you with. What would happen if the cougar drank some of her blood? 

A question she didn’t know the answer to. She closed her eyes again and reached out for Bellamy; he was near now, she knew. She just didn’t know where and she didn’t know where the cougar was either. When she opened her eyes she had the answer to one of the questions.

The cougar was standing about 20 feet away, hidden in the shadows but its glowing golden eyes shimmered in the dim nightscape. She might have to make a run for it but she didn’t want to make any sudden moves.

She started to stand, scooting up with her back against the tree, coming up a couple of inches and then pausing, waiting to see what the cougar did. It watched her unblinkingly and let out a screech. Clarke might be a vampire, but her heart was pounding now, and she was shaking like a leaf. Another couple of inches and the cougar stepped closer to her while continuing the screams.

Every curse word she knew ran through her head as she fought off panic. She had to get herself under control and she tried to take some deep breaths in an effort to facilitate that. 

She stayed put for a minute or so, calming herself and hoping that the cougar understood that she meant it no harm. A few more inches and she was nearly standing fully erect. The cougar crept closer, still making threatening and frightening sounds. Clarke wanted to dart behind the tree, but she knew the sudden move would be a mistake. 

_Where the hell was Bellamy?_

):(

Bellamy was about 15 feet directly behind her, but he still didn’t want to say anything because while Clarke could hear him, so could the cougar. The female had moved closer still to Clarke, still not attacking but not backing down either. Clarke was slowly coming upright and that was good because it would make it quicker to get away. Bellamy knew they could outrun the cougar because she wouldn’t leave the cubs alone and they couldn’t keep up. A few more feet and he would speak to her in vamp tones.

“Clarke, I’m behind you about 10 feet. When you feel me touch you on your right shoulder, step around the tree and grab my hand; we’re going to run baby.”

“What? No, it will catch us!” she said, terrified of trying to outrun the desperate mother cougar.

“No, it won’t. Please baby, trust me and just do as I say, okay? Okay Clarke?”

“Okay,” she told him, her voice shaking badly. The cougar was now only a dozen or so feet from them and her knees were a trembling mess. If she were still human she would have peed her pants by now.

“Now,” he whispered and she felt his hand on her shoulder. It crept down and she felt his clasp hers and she turned suddenly, following him as he rushed away at vamp speed. They ran for several minutes before he stopped and listened; nothing was following them. 

Clarke wanted to collapse from the drama, but they started running again and in a few minutes they were at the house. Relief flooded over her and then the tears came, rolling down her pale cheeks in great rivulets. She was shaking and humiliated that she had yet again gotten into trouble because she wouldn’t listen. It was time for a change; time to get serious about her training.

“Bellamy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think, I just didn’t…think.”

He handed her a glass of blood and indicated she needed to drink it. She was starving it seemed, drinking that glass and another straight down. Maybe part of what she had been feeling was hunger.

They carried their glasses that had been refilled into the living room and sat on the sofa, cuddling together as they spoke.

“I never thought about the danger; it put me and you into danger by my impulsive behavior. I’m so sorry.”

He listened to her apology and knew that it was sincere; he never doubted that. He was sorry too, for embarrassing her in front of everyone at Tim and Mary’s house. He kissed the top of her head and slid an arm around her, holding her close. “It’s okay baby. I know you didn’t mean for this to happen. It’s just as much my fault as yours. I’m so sorry you were so afraid.”

“I knew you were out there Bellamy, that you wouldn’t leave me. I just didn’t anticipate the fact that I would need you like that, although I was afraid I’d get lost trying to find home,” she told him sheepishly.

She heard him chuckle, the low rumble reverberating through his chest. Wisely, he didn’t say a word.

“What hurt Bellamy was the fact that you don’t believe that I could taste those things. I really can – I know you just don’t believe it, but it’s true.”

“Clarke, baby it’s impossible. Vampires can’t taste food. I think – I think somehow that you just miss the taste of things and imagine that you can still taste.” Privately, he thought that it was a repercussion of her turning; just like he missed human things so did she. She didn’t understand it yet, but that was surely what it was.

“Really? Then how do you think that I did the blind tastes and go everything right? Hm Bellamy, tell me that?” Red hot anger was rising within her again.

He didn’t exactly know the answer to that – maybe it had something to do with the scent; most likely that was it. When he told her, so she suddenly stood up, glaring at him.

“I am not imagining it, or wishing it or any other thing. I _tasted_ it all, whether you believe me or not. And if you can’t, then what the hell are we doing together in the first place?” She turned and ran up the stairs and he heard the bedroom door slam. 

This time he wondered not when she would cool down but if.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and the comments and kudos. I struggle with this at times because of lack of response but I will at least finish posting this story. As I've said in the past, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but to the few of you that do enjoy it and let me know it means the world.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since I missed so many weeks of posting, I decided to take this week and post a new chapter each day until Friday. Next week we go back to regular posting schedule. I hope you enjoy these extra bits of the story.
> 
> In this chapter, it's the night of the gala at Murphy's house. Raven meets Tango and could there be a spark there? How does Murphy react? Enjoy the fun! And, who could the mystery woman be that Raven meets? Here's a hint, she is very important to someone in the story.

Chapter 17

The harder Ben searched for a clue as to what happened to Bellamy B Blake, the fewer leads he got. He’d searched the genealogy web sites, name traces, all the government sites, nothing showed that he existed after 1959 when it appeared that he and his wife were killed. Except that he apparently had a grandson who was the mirror image of him. However, there were no birth records for Bellamy’s son. 

People didn’t just magically appear. In desperation he might consider asking Bellamy, but then that opened a whole new can of worms – one that might be best left unsaid. According to his private investigators application, he was born November 15, 1977, which made him 31. How could Ben have found an apartment lease under his name going back to 1986? THAT had to be his father, who was named Bellamy Blake as well. But again, another dead end because there was not a single other piece of information about him.

Ben thought he’d struck gold with Echo DuVall, except that in the end that one fizzled out as well. She apparently owned a house in the Hollywood hills in the early 1950’s. The owner ship transferred to a Cynthia Xavier Davis sometime after Echo’s presumed death in 1959. Davis was apparently a relative of some kind. The house was sold to Morgan Vincent in early 2006; Morgan Vincent remained the current owner, except that he couldn’t find her. 

She had worked at Buzzwire as a photographer while Clarke was there and then had some sort of accident that nearly killed her. She left the hospital without her doctor’s knowledge and no one had seen her since. Calls to her family in Chicago hadn’t provided any further information because she hadn’t been in contact with them since 2005. They had presumed her dead.

A central character in this seemed to be Clarke, and while he had her number he couldn’t really call and start asking questions without alerting Bellamy. Maybe Bellamy would be happy to provide answers, who knew? He might be able to explain it all and then the mystery would be solved. But Ben wasn’t ready for that yet; he still had a few other leads to try first. He was going to take a look at the crime scene evidence from the hotel where Bellamy and Echo were killed, supposedly. 

Except he now believed that they weren’t killed. They went into hiding; he’d bet his next paycheck on it. Which lead to the big question: why?

):(

Raven drove up into the Hollywood hills to Murphy’s humble home. What a laugh she thought, calling it that. It was brightly lit tonight in preparation for the party but as yet there wasn’t a crush of partygoers. She handed her keys to a valet and walked up the winding flagstone path that was lit with luminaries. The door was promptly answered by Franklin who regarded her with a slight smile and bow. 

“Good evening Ms. Reyes. How lovely you look tonight,” he stated quietly. He might be 300 years old but he still knew a pretty lass when he saw one. The question was, did his employer?

“Thank you, Franklin. My, the house looks bright and festive,” she said, referring to the decorations gracing the ballroom, which could be seen through the large double doors to the left. The foyer was magnificent as usual, it’s marble floors and stairs shining with a polished glow.

“Well, we could have nothing less, now could we?” he asked, his eyes sparking brightly in the well-lit room.

Murphy entered the foyer, closely followed by a very attractive man and headed straight for Raven. “Raven, your gown is exquisite, and so are you by the way.”

“Well, I was instructed to have a ‘fabulous’ gown. I’m glad to know it meets your expectations. Who is your friend?” she inquired, staring at Tango.

“Ah yes, excuse my manners. Raven Reyes, may I introduce Tango Smythe, a friend of mine for many years.”

“As in centuries Murphy?” she said with a dimpled smile. She held out her hand to Tango and greeted him, surprised to hear his British accent.

Tango bowed low over her hand, kissing it delicately. “Might I add that Murphy is correct, you look positively stunning my dear. It is with great pleasure that I make your acquaintance. And yes, centuries.” 

Oh my, Raven thought. Wickedly handsome and charming to boot. And the accent, oh, she loved the accent! “Um, well, you seem to have survived it. I’m sure you both are devils and have had some interesting escapades. Care to share?” she teased.

“Oh, indeed we have. Might I lead you into the ballroom where we can chose a drink and chat? I’ve many stories I could relate; surprisingly Murphy doesn’t always come off well in them, but he is a charming rascal, isn’t he?” He cast a wicked look over his shoulder as Murphy watched open-mouthed as he led Raven into the ballroom.

Murphy watched them walk away, Raven’s hand resting on Tango’s arm. What the hell just happened? She hated vampires and yet that British bastard had just walked off with her, twittering like an adolescent girl. He wasn’t going to let this happen, hell no. He followed them, listening to the chat as Tango told her about a time when the two of them were briefly thrown into a jail in Siam. She was listening raptly as they ordered drinks; white wine for her and tequila for him. 

“So, you see, we had to bust out of there quickly, Murphy can’t go without his beverages of choice for long,” he told her. She was laughing merrily at the tale.

“And did you tell her just how we ended in that jail Tango? Because you tried to seduce the king’s daughter? Actually, several of them if memory serves me right.”

Tango laughed out loud, a deep laugh that rumbled from his admittedly handsome chest Raven thought. Oh, this one was a player and she enjoyed chatting with him a good deal, especially because for some reason it was bothering Murphy.

“Yes, well, that might have been the reason,” he said with a wink for Raven. “Oh, it was an adventure though!”

Suddenly they all realized that Roan had joined them; he had been watching for several minutes and it had been a very interesting few minutes for sure. Roan chuckled to himself, wanting to see where this went because Murphy was beside himself with jealousy, except that he didn’t seem to understand it. 

_Yes, this would be a most interesting evening_.

An hour later Raven and Murphy were still making the rounds, greeting guests and smiling until Raven’s jaws ached. She didn’t know how Murphy did it; he showed no signs of fatigue and stress over it all, just welcomed and smiled, making everyone feel welcome.

Jasper and Audrey were here, Jasper looking as uncomfortable in his tux as he did at the wedding and Audrey in a beautiful gown that was totally the wrong color for her. Raven decided that a shopping trip needed to be planned, some girl time. Abby and Marcus were there too, Marcus wearing his tux with ease and Abby looking fabulous in a gown that made her look young and vibrant – and very pregnant. 

Cami was there with Wells and he managed to look completely relaxed. Their second date had gone very well and she felt comfortable enough to ask him to attend with her. Raven smiled each time they danced by her line of vision; they both looked so happy. The small band had played steadily, soft music for slow dancing or easy conversation. All in all, it was quite pleasant, until Murphy heard Raven’s sharp intake of breath and felt her stiffen at his side.

Michael and Helen Reyes stepped in front of them and Murphy heard Raven’s heartbeat rapidly for a moment. Marcus offered his hand to Murphy, who shook it amicably even while he wondered what Raven’s reaction was about.

“Raven,” Helen said, air kissing both cheeks. “What on earth are you doing here?”

“Mom, I work for King now.”

“Really? I had no idea,” Helen said, looking around the room for acquaintances.

“Yes Mom. Remember I was in Tokyo for 4 years?”

“No, not really. I can’t keep track of your life for heaven’s sake. Must move on dear!” and like that her parents walked past them. 

Abby and Marcus had witnessed the whole conversation and Abby saw Raven’s face go from pale white to flaming red. “Marcus,” she said, knowing that Raven was livid from the conversation.

“Give her a few minutes Abby, you know that’s best where Raven is concerned.” She nodded and then watched as Raven moved swiftly across the room, heading for the door that led out to the terrace.

Murphy stood dumbfounded by that exchange. Her father didn’t acknowledge her at all and her mother didn’t seem to have a clue as to where her daughter worked. He watched as Raven all but ran across the floor and started to follow her but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

“Murphy, give her a few minutes,” Abby said.

“No, she’s upset. I need to make sure she’s alright. What the hell is up with those parents of hers anyway?”

Abby and Marcus both just shook their heads; it had always been the same for Raven. “Just trust me Murphy, let her cool down before you try and talk to her.”

“I can’t. She’s here at my request and I’m responsible. Excuse me, please?” he said, already moving towards the door, following the scent of Raven’s pain and hurt.

“Marcus, this isn’t going to be good,” Abby said sadly.

Marcus nodded in acknowledgment. Across the room both Tango and Roan had seen all that happened. They didn’t know what the right thing to do was but it was out of their hands. Raven and Murphy cared for one another a great deal – they had to find their own path – after they both realized that they did care that is..

Murphy followed Raven’s scent to the back of the gardens, near a gazebo. She climbed the steps and sat down, crossing her legs. He watched quietly for a moment as she kicked the crossed leg, a nervous habit of old. As he got closer he scented tears and they tore his heart out. He didn’t understand what had happened, but he felt responsible.

“Raven? I’m so sorry.”

She fixed him with angry eyes that flashed brilliantly due to the tears that clouded them. “Get out of here Murphy – leave me alone!”

“I can’t do that; I’m concerned about you. Please, tell me what is wrong?”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” she yelled and he was sure that they could hear her inside. She stood up and walked down the steps, getting ready to move to a different part of the gardens.

Murphy reached out to stop her and she shoved his hand off her arm. For a moment she looked at him so intensely it almost hurt. “Why Murphy? Just tell me why you didn’t tell me that you had invited them?”

“I didn’t think about it. I mean, they’re your parents and it never occurred to me that there would be a problem…” he said, trailing off as he saw more tears well up in her huge eyes.

“You should have.” She took a step back and again as she moved around him he put out a hand to stop her.

“Raven talk to me…” he said. His only response was a sharp, stinging slap across the face. He pulled his hand back and watched as she disappeared through the garden. He didn’t understand what happened, but he intended to find out.

):(

Raven ran to the valet and requested her car. She wouldn’t stay here another moment, she _couldn’t_ stay here another moment. She couldn’t breathe here, not with those two so close. How on earth could they be her parents?

Once she got her car, she put the top down and started the trip down the hillside. It was a new moon tonight, so the only light came from the street lamps along the way. The road was twisty and required care to traverse it safely. Each turn brought a bit of relief from the rage she felt, from the pain and hurt of the past. As she made one of the last turns before she drove out of the hills a small animal appeared on the side of the road. Raven slowed down drastically, just before it tried to run in front of her.

“Damn it,” she muttered, bringing the Maserati to a stop in a driveway and hoping that she hadn’t hit it. As she opened the door a floppy-haired brown dog whimpered and raised a paw up as if to say, ‘help me’. Raven rushed to the animal and scooped it up, trying to check and see if it were hurt.

“Noodle?”

Raven heard someone calling the dog and walked towards the voice. An older woman walked slowly down the drive calling the dog’s name. He started whimpering when he saw the woman and jumped out of Raven’s arms, racing to the woman who scooped up the fluffy mop top dog and told him ‘bad dog’.

“I hope he didn’t scare you too much. This one is an escape artist; I just can’t figure out how he does it.” She looked over at the tightly spaced, 4-foot-tall white picket fence with a scowl. “See, when he gets caught, he whimpers and cries, trying to get some sympathy; but I know exactly what you’re up to bad dog!”

Raven smiled as the cute dog tilted his head and again raised his paw. She reached out and scratched his head and said, “Uh uh, I got your number buddy!”

“I’m so sorry he scared you my dear. Won’t you come in for a cup of tea? Unless you are on your way to a party,” she said eyeing Raven’s attire.

“No, I was just leaving one. I’d love a cup of tea actually,” she told the woman. She glanced at the mailbox which had the name ‘Carter’ on it and followed the woman into the large, sprawling bungalow. It sat back about 50 feet from the road and was surrounded by towering trees; it looked idyllic, like something from an old-fashioned painting. She should probably go home but somehow the thought of a pleasant cup of tea with this woman who didn’t know her sounded like the best thing in the world. Since she didn’t know her she wouldn’t judge her or criticize her. Relax, that’s what I need to do.

Inside the house Raven looked around her, there were old family pictures on the far wall and a beautiful painting about the mantle of a wooded grove with purple flowers everywhere. “Come on into the kitchen honey and we’ll get that tea.”

In the kitchen the woman indicated the old-fashioned table with vinyl covered chairs. The tabletop was white, faded to off white after undoubtedly many years of use and the faux marble looking vinyl on the chairs was lilac colored. In fact, the whole room was done in lilac and white including the dishes she noticed as the woman pulled down delicate bone china that was white with purple colored flowers on it. Even her cotton house dress was covered in purple flowers. 

“So Mrs. Carter,” she said, using the name on the mail box, “I take it you like purple?”

Mrs. Carter chuckled and said, “Yes, I do. The china started it all off, it was my mothers. I coveted that china even as a little girl. A sin, I know, but just the same I loved it.” The tea kettle began shrieking and she walked to it and removed it from the burner and poured the water into the teapot where she had already put the tea bags.

She carried the tea pot to the table and then went back to a cabinet and opened a cookie jar and removed a few cookies to a plate which she added to the array on the table before sitting down. She was quite spry Raven thought as she watched her move around.

“So honey, a man has got you twizzled. What happened?”

“Twizzled?” Raven laughed. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that term.”

“Betwixt and between, out of sorts. I saw that word on one of them day time talk shows!” she said proudly. “So tell me about him.”

“Really, it’s not that, or not like you think. I co-hosted a party with him and he didn’t, well, I didn’t know who was coming and was surprised, that’s all.”

“His wife maybe?” 

“Oh heavens NO. But it wouldn’t matter if he was married because we’re not romantically involved.”

‘Um hm.” Mrs. Carter took a sip of her tea and offered Raven a cookie. “Try one of these, honey. They are lemon crackle cookies and they go just fine with this tea.”

Raven bit into a cookie and immediately a smile spread across her face. Very lemony and light, it was wonderful. “No, really, he’s a man that my company is doing some work for. The party was a celebration of a new program that we’re setting up for him.”

“Who did he invite that got your goat?”

Raven smiled inwardly at that term; you didn’t hear that too often nowadays. “He invited my parents, who are wasteful socialites. I guess it’s fair to say that we don’t get along.”

“You don’t get along with your parents? I can’t imagine that honey.”

“My youth was hard – on them I mean. Raising a child takes time and care, neither of which they had much of. Tonight my mother said she didn’t know that I had been working at this past job for almost 5 years. She said, she couldn’t keep track of me. I’m an only child by the way so it’s not like she had a whole bunch of us.”

The old woman studied her young guest with interest. She was beautiful and poised and had impeccable manners and was clearly unhappy. She could understand why she was upset with her parents – what kind of people were they anyway to neglect their daughter like that. But, it still had something to do with a man, that much she was sure about.

They talked of inconsequential things for another half hour. She learned the little dogs name was Noodle because his mama was a poodle and the dad a neighborhood mutt. He lay in the kitchen by the back door watching them carefully and Mrs. Carter joked that he was hoping for a bite of cookie. “Yes, he’s a totally bad boy sometimes,” she laughed, at the same time breaking a cookie in two and sharing half with him.

When she left, Raven felt so much better. She hugged the old woman and took note of the house number, 19404 and decided to send her a big bouquet of flowers tomorrow.

Purple one’s of course.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven is overwhelmed by guilt for how she treated Murphy. But he tries to make things right. Tango and Roan consider the situation that Murphy and Raven are in and try hard to help Murphy, as does Abby. But that conversation has Murphy's mind working overtime, which might not be a good thing. Clarke and Bellamy are still at odds and Tim and Mary come for a visit.
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying the extra posts this week. I'm having fun posting them because there is so much still ahead in this story and I can't wait to share. Thanks for the comment easilydistractedbyfanfic, your words keep me going.

Chapter 18

Roan and Tango stood along the wall sipping their drinks and watching Raven and Murphy. There were too many people in the room to be able to hear what was being said but it was clear that it wasn’t good, judging by the look on Raven’s face. Neither man knew who the couple was that stood talking to them, but Raven looked very angry. When the couple moved on Raven headed to the doors and as she swept past them, they could scent the rage and pain rolling off of her. Murphy followed her quickly after a few words with some of the others gathered around them.

“This is not going to be good; I think he should let her be,” Tango said, taking another sip of his drink. He was torn about whether or not to follow Murphy and try to coax him back inside.

“You are right my friend; Raven is too upset to speak at this moment. I believe that the couple who she was speaking to are her parents. Raven is not close to them, for reasons I am not privy to.” Roan looked around the room, seeing who had paid attention to the situation and other than the people near Raven and Murphy, everyone was otherwise occupied. 

“Murphy never knows when to let something be, especially when his heart is involved,” Tango said, frowning a bit. 

“He does care for her doesn’t he?” Roan said, a momentary smile playing across his face.

“Yes, he does, although I’m sure that he doesn’t really realize it. And Raven? You know her well I believe?”

“Yes, she has been like a daughter to me for the past 5 years. I believe that she also cares for Murphy; however, she will not give in to it easily Tango. She knows about vampires because two of them attacked her at my house in Tokyo; I saved her and so she is very wary of them although trusting of myself. I believe that when she recently killed the vampire that attacked her best friend that she is now a bit more comfortable. But as far as why she runs from relationships with men, that I do not know.”

“That would be Bellamy Blakes wife I believe. I’ve never met the chap but Murphy cares about him and thinks he has great potential in our world.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Murphy came back into the room, a fading imprint of a hand on his cheek. Raven was conspicuously absent. He looked around and caught them observing him and headed their way.

A waiter walked by and Tango said, “Scotch,neat,” and the waiter nodded and moved to get the drink. He was back moments later and Tango handed it to Murphy who drank the two fingers of rich amber liquid straight down.

The three men stood together wordlessly, and Murphy’s jaw clenched and unclenched with his emotions. They were interrupted by one of the women that had been talking to Murphy and Raven earlier. She was pregnant both Tango and Roan noticed and both men smiled at the fact.

“Murphy,” Abby said as she laid her hand on his arm. “She needs time. Her parents,” she paused for a moment and tried to think of the best thing to say. “Raven and her parents aren’t close; I don’t know why exactly but I have my suspicions. Truly, they care little for her and it’s hard for her to be around them. Please don’t take it personally.” Marcus was at her side, an arm draped casually around her shoulders, but it was also a protective stance they all realized.

Murphy’s eyes met Abby’s and a sick thought permeated his brain. That bastard wouldn’t have… would he? As if understanding what Murphy was thinking she responded, “No, I don’t think that is the case Murphy; Marcus and I both questioned her about it when she was young. She was just so unhappy growing up, we really tried to be there for her and let her be a part of our family. Time Murphy, she needs time.”

He nodded tersely and motioned for the waiter to bring another drink. Time? He had all the time in the world but sadly, Raven didn’t. He began to look at Marcus Parker, the great philanthropist differently that night. Whatever the past was, Murphy was determined to find out just what that bastard had done to hurt Raven so badly.

):(

Raven slept late the next morning and woke up feeling better than she had in a long time. She had really enjoyed her chat with Mrs. Carter last night; it almost pushed the earlier fiasco out of her head. Almost…

She had slapped Murphy; she was humiliated and sorry about it but at the same time she had asked him to back off. It was horrible to know that she couldn’t control herself any better than that. She’d never, ever hit anyone in her life and the fact that he had only been trying to help when she lost control made it all worse. She really wanted to crawl under a nice shady rock and hideaway but that was out of the question because Monday they started the install at Murphy’s company. How on earth was she supposed to look at him and not feel ashamed?

Her flight had taken her to Mrs. Carter and that she had enjoyed. Mrs. Carter reminded her of Grace, Clarke’s grandmother; Mrs. Carter had the same relaxed air and matter of fact ideas. Somehow, she had soothed Raven and she was grateful for the care that was shown her.

Raven reached for her phone and dialed the florist and ten minutes later she had ordered a bouquet of flowers for Mrs. Carter, white and purple ones that she hoped that the elderly woman would enjoy.

A half an hour later she had finished breakfast, a toasted English muffin and a tall glass of orange juice while reading the news on the computer. She was ready to go take a shower when her doorbell rang. Her heart skipped a beat or two and she was afraid to look out the peep hole because she was afraid it might be Murphy, coming to gloat over her loss of control last night. Instead, she was surprised to see a woman with flowers for her.

“Ms. Reyes? I have a delivery for you,” the young woman said. She was holding a very elegant and costly Waterford crystal vase that held two dozen cream colored roses with dusky pink edges that were still budding.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, reaching for her purse to get money for a tip. 

“No ma’am, that’s been taken care of. Have a nice day!” she said politely and turned and left.

Raven closed the door and inhaled the sweet fragrance of the roses. She knew who sent them and for a moment she felt even guiltier but she sat them on a table and pulled the card out.

_Raven,_

_I hope that you are well this morning. Please accept this very sincere apology from me for ruining your evening last night. These roses remind me of you; classic and burgeoning with promise._

_Murphy_

Raven sank down onto the carpet and read the note again; tears rolled down her cheeks and finally her head bent down as she sobbed. Embarrassment for her behavior and happiness over this simple wish vied for dominion in her head and heart. The happiness won out as it was intended to.

):(

Bellamy and Clarke had spoken very little after the problem the night before. It wasn’t really an argument; just a wall that seemed to be building between them and neither one knew how to handle it or to tear it down for that matter.

Bellamy glanced at her from time to time, covertly he hoped, from under his lashes. They were both in the gym, he lifting weights and she on the tread climber. She’d been pushing it hard for the past 45 minutes, watching tv as if she were alone in the room. No conversation, no longing looks cast at him, just dedication to that damn machine. Right now Dr. Phil was on talking about runaway teens, a subject that he just didn’t see her being all that interested in. 

He’d moved on to the weight resistance machine but in all honesty the only reason he was still at it was to be near her. Last night in their freezer they hadn’t made love, had barely spoke or touched even. This morning when he woke up she was already out of the freezer and when he came downstairs she was sitting at the table drinking her coffee silently. He kissed her, aiming for her lips and only got her cheek as she turned her head. 

“Have you fed Clarke?” he ventured. Usually in the mornings she would feed a bit from him. It was no longer necessary, but it was a comforting act between them, intensifying their bond. This morning didn’t quite seem real without that loving act between them.

“Yes. I didn’t want to wake you,” she had said quietly. 

As he thought back those words had been the most she had offered all morning. After she finished her coffee she rinsed the cup and headed into the gym and he heard the machine pumping away. When he went in she was seemingly immersed in her program so he didn’t say anything, only went to the free weights but it was hard to see her from there so he changed to the machine. 

He finally gave up and said, “I’m going to take a shower Clarke.”

She barely nodded in his direction and turned the machine off and headed to the free weights. She grabbed two of them without paying attention and he noted that they were 20 pound weights. She was lifting them all wrong and he knew that she would have aching muscles later.

“Clarke, baby, you’re not using them correctly. And uh, it would really be better if started with the 10 pounds first, to build up, okay? Here, let me show you how to use them, okay?”

She watched silently as he demonstrated, showing her how to work the different muscle groups. She could see how she would have hurt herself the other way and thanked him. “I understand what you’re showing me. Thank you, Bellamy.” Her words were sincere but spoken as if she were talking to a stranger.

“It’s okay baby.” He stood there for a moment, watching her and feeling as if they were a world apart. She wasn’t angry, there was no scent of it on her; it felt as if she was just removed from it all, a very strange place to be.

After his shower he got dressed and headed down to the office. He stared at the phone and when he heard Clarke start a shower, he picked it up and called Murphy, who answered on the first ring.

“Murphy, I don’t know what to do. I think she hates me and I am fucking this all up!” he exclaimed into the phone.

“Hate you? Extremely unlikely Bellamy don’t exaggerate so much. What happened?” he queried, leaning back in his chair and resting his Gucci loafers on the smooth mahogany desk.

Bellamy related the events of the day before, not sparing his own part in the fiasco. “I was such an ass Murphy; I told her in front of everyone that she was imagining it and that she needed to stop.”

Murphy’s lips pursed together in a silent whistle, amazed that Bellamy had done that. Both of them could be hot tempered as he had reason to remember and this was a totally emotional hot button for them both apparently. “Bellamy, why is this so important to you? I mean, maybe she can taste it. It sounds like she didn’t have any problems distinguishing between the different items.”

“Murphy, we can’t taste food! I think she is missing her humanity and this is the way it is manifesting, a false sense of taste to food.”

“Not likely. Look, if she really were missing humanity, I don’t think she’d be tasting food Bellamy. And I have to say, we’ve talked almost every day and I don’t think Clarke is missing anything about her humanity.”

Bellamy heard what Murphy was saying and he knew that Clarke did seem to be adapting quite well. But how could she not be mourning her human life?

“Bellamy, you’ve got to let all your own regrets go; Clarke doesn’t share them but if you keep on like this she will gradually start to associate vampirism with all the regret and misery you carried around for 50 years. You have to let it go boyo – let her settle into her new life. Maybe she can taste – who knows? If she can’t eventually she’ll figure it out. Just lighten up!”

Bellamy heard Clarke getting out of the shower upstairs and ended the call with Murphy. Maybe his friend was right and he just needed to let it go. He was just so worried that deluding herself would cause more problems later on but he decided he would just drop it.

Before too long he heard Clarke come downstairs and when he went looking for her, he found her watching a movie on the new big screen tv. It was a sappy girl movie and he decided to just hang out with her. They needed to connect and if it meant watching with her he could live with that.

As he watched a wedding fiasco on screen and he asked her what the movie was.

“Sex and the City,” she told him. Her blue eyes were sad when they met his hazel eyes that were a darker shade of green today.

“It’s uh, kind of sad don’t you think?” He remembered that it used to be a tv show, but he didn’t realize it was this tragic.

“This part is; it’s about how sometimes two people can love each other but if they don’t communicate then things can fall to pieces.”

_Fuck! Was she trying to tell him things were over?_ He couldn’t let that happen; she was his love, his life, his fledgling – neither of them would survive without the other.

“Wha…what are you trying to say Clarke?” he asked, a husky tremor in his voice.

She looked at him, meeting his gaze squarely and she smiled. “I’m not saying we’re over Bellamy. In the movie, neither Carrie nor John listened to the other, _really_ listened, but then they each never really explained what was important either. That built a wall around each of them, separately. They each played by their own rules and didn’t take the time to make any rules together.”

His face clouded as he thought about her words and he realized exactly what she was trying to tell him – that if they didn’t get on the same page about things that they would grow apart. That would never happen; he’d do anything to prevent it.

“I’m sorry Clarke, so sorry for last night. I’m sorry for telling you in front of everyone that I didn’t believe you. I will accept that you say you can taste baby, I will. I’ll never embarrass you like that again.”

“But you don’t really believe me do you?”

“I don’t know Clarke; I just don’t know. We, vampires can’t taste, or at least not any that I know of. It just seems impossible to me.”

“I understand that; I get it, I really do. But understand this Bellamy, I really can taste things. I don’t know why, but I can. Maybe it’s my AO- blood, or the fact that I share your blood and Echo’s and Murphy’s, I don’t know but somehow, I can taste things. Vampires do have taste buds you know; we can taste different kinds of blood for heaven’s sake. Jasper says he can taste pineapple popsicles and you don’t tell him he’s imagining it!”

The stunned look on Bellamy’s face amused her for a moment. “I never heard that he could do that, he never told me,” he finally stammered.

She laughed for a moment and said, “Is it any wonder why?” 

They both looked up when they heard a knock on the door and both of them lifted their heads, scenting the air. 

“Tim and Mary,” they said in unison, rushing to open the door. “Come in,” Clarke said, standing back so that their guests could enter.

As usually happened when Tim and Mary visited, they migrated to the kitchen and Mary helped Bellamy pour them all glasses of blood so they could visit a bit.

Tim shifted his eyes from Clarke to Bellamy, watching the young couple carefully for any signs of stress but they both seemed to be in better space today which made the old shaman happy. As they all took their first sips Tim said, “Clarke, Bellamy, would you both be willing to try a simple experiment for me?”

One of Bellamy’s eyebrows quirked upward, and Clarke tilted her head, a sure sign of curiosity. 

“May I ask why?” Bellamy said as he sat his glass down on the tabletop.

“Um, yes but I don’t want to reveal too much yet, although afterwards I’ll explain fully. I saw something the other night and I just want to see if it was my imagination.”

Bellamy and Clarke cast quick looks at the other and Clarke grinned, shrugging as she did so. “I’m game!”

Mary pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and told Clarke to take it into the other room and read it and then to follow the instructions without saying anything.

Clarke looked at the plain white paper and took it from her friend before heading into the living room. She read the words curiously, several times and decided to give it a try even though it seemed nonsensical to her. 

Back in the kitchen Bellamy, Tim and Mary chatted about the orchard and some plans that Tim had to expand the pear crop. Clarke sat down and grinned at Bellamy with a slight shrug and took a sip of her blood. As she sat it down, she looked at Bellamy, focusing on him and before long he reached across the table and ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the silken texture of it.

“Oh my gosh,” Clarke exclaimed, looking at Tim and Mary quizzically. “I don’t understand?”

Bellamy’s glance swept each one of their faces, realizing that they all knew something that he didn’t. He sat up a bit straighter, waiting for an explanation.

“ _Na’ hae_ , I believe that Clarke is using allure on you,” he said and watched both of the young one’s bristle at his words. He held his hand up and continued, “She isn’t doing it for control, but I think it is something that she does unconsciously, a product of the strength of your bond. Clarke, show Bellamy the note.”

Clarke slid the paper across the table and Bellamy read it.

_Focus on Bellamy silently and ask him to stroke your hair._

“Why? I don’t understand?” Bellamy finally said, confused.

“Several times I have watched Clarke’s ability to communicate with you without saying a word. The other night I saw you blazing with anger that magically disappeared as she looked at you.” He watched their faces as they remembered the night that Clarke had broken her leg and realized that Tim was correct.

“It is normal for sire/fledgling relationships to have a deep connection; added to that is your love for one another and a bond that goes back to when Clarke was a child. She focuses on you, her heart open and you follow it _na’hae_. It is…to be expected. But, you must work with her to learn control of that very powerful gift.”

Memories flittered through Bellamy’s brain, of Clarke just looking at him and of his response which was to just fall into whatever she desired. He had never even questioned how he immediately knew what she wanted, he just did it. This was totally new to him; with Echo he had never experienced anything like this, not even close. He was connected to her to be sure, but non-verbal communication never worked for them.

“I’m sorry Bellamy, I – I don’t know how to not do that; I thought it was normal for a sire/fledgling relationship. Can you help me? Teach me?”

Bellamy looked at her and took her small hand in his larger one and said, “I will teach you Clarke; I will listen to you as well, always,” he told her. 

It sounded much like a vow to Tim and Mary and they both smiled as Bellamy and Clarke spoke from their hearts. These two were creating a magical bond that would last forever. It was a blessing to know them.

* _na’hae Cherokee word for son_


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wells pays Murphy a visit, a risky move at best but he knows he needs to take a stance and show where his loyalties lie. Bellamy and Clarke make up and start trying to work through some things. 
> 
> Thanks so much to all of you who are faithfully reading! It means so much to me.

‘Chapter 19

Audrey and Jasper were pouring over catalogs, checking out the different types of options for solar energy when there was a knock on their door. Both of them jumped slightly and rose to their feet, unused to such interruptions. Jasper lifted his head and frowned when he caught a whiff of eau de vampire. He looked at Audrey and mouthed, ‘stay there’, pointing to the chair where she had been sitting. She sat down wordlessly and watched as Jasper headed through the living room to get to the front door in the foyer. It was quiet for a few moments and she imagined Jasper looking into the security monitor to see who it was. Pretty quickly she heard the bolt slide open on the door and relaxed as she heard him welcome their guest.

As she walked into the living room, she spied Murphy standing in the middle of the room, looking around him with interest. It must seem so small and tacky to him she decided; after being at his house for the party recently she could only imagine how their home looked through Murphy’s eyes.

Audrey might have been surprised at Murphy’s thoughts had she been privy to them. She was right that he thought the place looked small but he also thought it looked like a home, a real home where people who loved one another lived and shared their lives. He couldn’t imagine why on earth he had these thoughts but none the less they came unbidden into his mind. 

“I’m sorry to intrude on your evening, but I needed to speak with you,” he told them, watching how Jasper had wrapped an arm around Audrey. Clearly, it was a gesture of comfort and love and it made Murphy smile.

“Murphy, you’re not interrupting our evening; we were actually in the kitchen looking over catalogs since we are building a house; Marcus’ company will do the work but we’re trying to decide what we want. We are going ‘green’,” Audrey said with a smile. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No thank you Audrey. But I’d love to hear about your new home sometime,” he said with a smile. “Do you mind if I take a seat?”

“No, please help yourself,” Jasper said, and watched as Murphy did just that. He couldn’t help but wonder what this was all about.

Murphy sat down in a straight-backed chair, much like a Queen Anne chair and yet more modern somehow. He crossed his legs and got to the point. “Jasper, would you be interested in coming to work for me at Murphy Industries? King Co is installing a state-of-the-art computer setup with a new type of security system that no one has ever seen before. I need a computer expert to handle the job, someone with software knowledge and the ability to manage OP systems.”

Jasper and Audrey had both heard a bit about the system at the party, it was on everyone’s mind that night, even if the details were being kept quiet. It was quite a venture that King Co and Murphy Industries were sharing.

“Murphy, I’m pleased and amazed that you have offered me the job, but I’m not a systems expert at all. Hardware is my forte and investigation, not the software aspects.” He watched as Murphy tried to contain his disappointment and failed.

Murphy had wanted ‘family’ in this position and someone whom he knew that he could totally trust. This young vampire had proven several times that he was of the ilk that was needed. Being Bellamy’s fledgling provided an extra bit of insurance as well because true loyalty couldn’t be bought.

“Murphy, may I make a suggestion?” Jasper ventured. At Murphy’s nod he continued, “Audrey is just the person you are looking for. She has the experience and knowledge to work with those systems – hell, she’s even built systems like that and as a systems operations manager all that experience will be put to good use.”

Murphy looked at Audrey closely; she was embarrassed that Jasper had suggested her and yet as Murphy remembered that it had been Audrey and her program that had gave them their first big lead in tracking Katrina he began to see that it was very possible that she was exactly who he needed. “Would you be interested Audrey?”

“I – I think so. But would I fit in there? At Murphy I mean,” she asked. Murphy was a company full of vampires, would they accept her? She wasn’t afraid of vampires really but the thought of working around them made her a bit nervous.

As if reading her mind Murphy told her, “They aren’t all vampires actually and in the IT area more aren’t than are. Your safety would always be assured.”

“Why aren’t you promoting one of your internal people Murphy?”

“Because I have a leak somewhere Audrey; maybe it’s in the company and maybe not but for the past two years someone has been moving funds around, skimming off the top and cancelling buy and sell orders. This new system is going to pinpoint _exactly_ who and where it is being done from. I need someone that I can trust absolutely in this position.”

“Okay. I will come work for you then. When do you need me? I’ll have to give notice at Currington, where I’m working now.”

“I’ll need you as soon as possible. The install begins this week and Raven wants to start training soon after that.”

“I’ll give notice tomorrow and see if we can work something out there. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know what date I can begin.”

They shook on the deal as Murphy prepared to leave. He knew Trent Currington well; hopefully he could strike a deal with him so that Audrey could start quickly. And he wanted to talk to Marcus about the new house for the youngsters. Maybe he could help a bit with that. He smiled as he climbed into the Ferrari, feeling good about the outcome of this visit.

):(

Bellamy and Clarke lay in their freezer after making love. They were both feeling replete and enjoying the closeness of the other after last night’s absence of contact. He glided a gentle finger down her jaw line and then dipped it lower to trace her collar bone. It brought a slight shiver to her and he smiled, realizing that they might not be done for the night after all. His lips followed the path his fingers had traveled, and he heard Clarke sigh with pleasure.

Both of them were still amazed by Tim’s revelation about Clarke’s ability to allure Bellamy. It explained so much and yet Clarke had no idea just how she did it. She told Bellamy as much as they lay curled around one another.

“Allure is usually something we consciously do Clarke; we focus our intent on someone, and they will generally do what we want. Some vamps use it when they bite someone; maybe to calm them or even to make them forget what happened.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose; he had so missed their cuddling last night and tonight he felt as if he couldn’t get enough of her.

“Did you use allure? When you had freshies I mean?”

Bellamy knew this was dangerous territory; Clarke didn’t handle his past very well. He couldn’t lie about it now; she would be able to tell so he took a deep breath and said, “Yes, occasionally when one was afraid. Clarke, it is just something that happened in the past, it meant nothing.”

“I understand that now Bellamy; I really do. When I drink from you it is all about the love I feel for you, that you feel for me. A vampire and someone who was a freshie only couldn’t share that, at least I don’t believe they could. I understand so much about the bite now Bellamy, things I could never have understood before. Like when you drank my blood in the desert or when I saw you drinking from Simone.”

He ran his fingers through the silken blonde tresses that spread out around her, circling her head like a halo in the dim glow of the display lights in the freezer. Music was playing softly in the background as they relaxed and talked. 

Clarke let out a long sigh and ran her hand down his stomach, tangling in a few of his curls as well. Even in the dim light she could see the beautiful freckles that peppered his skin. She lightly traced over his cheeks with a gentle fingertip and leaned to kiss him sweetly. She felt him stirring beneath her fingers and smiled wickedly at him. He started to fall into the gaze and realized she was alluring him again; not that he was complaining at the moment, but they needed to figure out how to stop it from happening every time she looked at him. But for right now, he wasn’t a fool and he willingly fell into her gaze, rolling her over onto her back and settling between her legs.

“Have I mentioned Mrs. Blake that I adore you? You make me a very happy man.”

Clarke wiggled her hips against his and the motions caused him to squirm a bit. He was trying hard to keep his need in check and she wasn’t helping at all. He felt the wet warmth of her sliding against him and groaned. 

“I intend to make you happy again Mr. Blake, over and over in fact,” she told him, her voice a warm whisper in his ear that made him shiver with anticipation. Her lips captured an earlobe and she nipped it gently and then drew it into her mouth, savoring the tiny pinprick of blood that trickled onto her tongue. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, grinding against him. 

His eyes closed for a moment and he reached down between them and slipped himself inside of her, reveling in her heated and saturated depths. It was home to him, his cock filling her and the small whimpers she sighed against his shoulder as he did. His mouth found her shoulder and grazed it tenderly as his tongue lapped at the warm blood that beaded on the silken covering of skin. He moved to kiss her mouth, drinking deeply of her love and desire. When he pulled back for a moment, he took in the tiny fangs that peeked out between passion-swollen lips and realized she had never been more beautiful.

Clarke’s mouth found his chin, rubbing her tongue over the 5 o’clock shadow that was always present before it settled into the sexy divot that always made her weak in the knees. She traced it lightly, drawing circles before lapping at it as if she were dying of thirst and it was the only thing that could satisfy her. She felt loved and cherished and the thought occurred to her that no one else had ever, could ever make her feel this way. Her hips rose to meet his, her back arching wildly, meeting him thrust for thrust until they were both on the edge of pleasure. She tilted her head, exposing her neck to him.  
  
“Fuck, Bellamy, so good, so good…”  
  
He suddenly felt the need to push harder and faster and for a moment didn’t doubt that it was her allure and he didn’t care. She was soaking wet and he slipped in and out of her easily and she moaned his name over and over.

The scent of her blood drove him wild; he buried his nose against her neck, inhaling the scent that was pure Clarke. His tongue traced the vein and stroked lightly before sinking in gently and as he felt her do the same, they both exploded, all their love and passion bursting forth in their blood. He held her tightly as they rocked together until the trembling stopped before flipping over to his back and taking her with him.

They were both out of breath and for a few minutes all that either one could hear was the breathy sounds of the remnants of their love. They might not have solved the allure problem, but they had come a long way towards opening their souls to one another. Each day it became a bit clearer that eternity just might not be enough for them.

):(

Wells walked into the office and saw Luca at his desk, reading something intently. As he passed by Wells got a good look at it and realized it was the list that Ben had with all the names on it. He wondered if Ben had given it to Luca to investigate; it didn’t seem likely, but he needed to check on it because if he didn’t then there could be more problems on the horizon.

Wells realized that Ben didn’t know anything about vampires, or he was about 99% sure of that anyway. Wells also realized that for some reason unknown to him Ben was interested in Bellamy and that made Wells nervous because what affected Bellamy affected Clarke. Wells was still running down leads as to where in the Seattle area they were and felt confident that he’d get it figured out. He had booked a flight to Seattle in two days’ time and he meant to confront Bellamy and Clarke with his knowledge and assure them he was no threat to them. He never had been but now that Cami was in his life it was more important than ever that they knew that.

Things were going well with her and he was anxious to deepen their relationship, but he was also aware that she was afraid; afraid of the intimacy and also most likely of telling him what she was. Cami was a contradiction in terms in many ways, self-confident in her life for most things but in the romance area she was very shy. Wells couldn’t help but wonder how old she was. Did vampires age and die or was it like the movies, they never aged? He had so many questions and as of yet no answers. He could only hope that would change in a few days.

A little while later Luca had to go to court to testify and left the list on his desk, tucked into an envelope under some papers. Wells used the opportunity to make a copy of it before tucking it back into place. He also decided to go visit Ben to see if he could get any answers about the list and what he had done with it.

Ben was on the phone when Wells knocked on the door, but he signaled his friend to come in anyway. He covered the receiver for a moment and said, “I’ll be done in a moment,” in hushed tones.

Wells took a seat and sat back, crossing his legs and relaxing a bit. He liked Ben a lot; they’d met for drinks a couple of times and even went to a Dodgers game once, Ben’s treat. They were scheduled to hit a Padres game next week, Wells’ treat and Ben kept making jokes about defecting to ‘brand X’, meaning a team who weren’t the Dodgers.

When Ben got off the phone, they chatted a few minutes about a case they had worked on together and about the trip down to San Diego for the game. Finally Wells asked Ben about the list.

“Did you ever decide to do anything with that list you had? You know, the one with Blake’s name on it?”

“Nah, I shredded it. I still think it was some kind of a hoax, you know? What on earth could Blake and Murphy have to do with those historical names or the fictional ones. Some nut case with nothing better to do I think.”

Wells debated a moment over that answer. He believed Ben but then how did Luca get a copy of it? It worried Wells a great deal; whoever was behind it wasn’t going to stop apparently and that made it dangerous for the vamps on it. He believed he only had one choice now and it was a scary one, but he had to let someone know what was going on.

“I think you are right; it’s ridiculous what some people will do for a little attention.” He stood up and prepared to leave, making plans to meet for a drink the next day after work. 

“See you then Wells,” Ben said as his friend left the office with a wave. It made him curious why his friend had asked about that list after all this time; maybe Wells would tell him when they had drinks.

):(

When Luca returned from court, he saw the envelope tucked under the stack of papers where he had left it. He had decided to shred it; he didn’t know what it was about, but it had the feel of ‘prankster’ all over it. It made no sense at all and he had far better things to do with his time that ponder this. He took it to the shredder and watched as the turning blades made scrap of it in a couple of seconds.

He felt better already; it was like the damn thing had been wearing him down and he was suddenly free.

It was a good way to feel.

):(

Back in his car Wells pulled the list out and read through it again. He didn’t know what the reason was, but he knew that there was a purpose to it. Could he pull it off? Hand it over and maintain that he didn’t know what it was about? He had to try, he knew.

The next stop could very well end his life, but he didn’t think so. If he couldn’t bluff his way through this, he would swear silence on the matter or whatever it took. Even though Clarke’s or Cami’s names weren’t on that list if something was coming down to the vampires then it would affect both of them and he’d do anything to protect them both. As he walked into Murphy Industries, he patted the folded sheets of paper hidden in his breast pocket. In the offices a young blonde-haired assistant greeted him politely.

“I’d like to see Mr. Murphy, if he’s available.”

“May I have your name and I’ll check on that for you,” the young man stated.

“Jaha. Uh, Detective Wells Jaha of LAPD.”

A blonde eyebrow arched upwards at that information, but he pushed a button and spoke into a headset, telling Murphy who was here.

“Send him in Thor, thank you,” Murphy said, extremely curious about this visit. Wells had been at the party with Cami the other night, a strange pairing Murphy had thought at the time, but everyone had the right to date as they chose. He hoped that Cami had made a good choice; but then again both Clarke and Bellamy trusted the lieutenant so Murphy was willing to hear what he had to say. 

He stood up as Thor showed Wells Jaha into the office and shook his hand, seemingly at ease. “Detective Jaha, please come in. Would you like a drink? Are you still on duty?”

Wells glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost six and decided the drink might be a good ice breaker. “I’m off duty Mr. Murphy and I’d love a drink.”

Murphy nodded and headed to the console where a variety of bottles rested. “So, I take it that this isn’t an official visit then?” He pointed at the different bottles as if to ask what Wells would like.

“The scotch, neat will be fine, and no, this isn’t an official visit.”

“Ah, well then, what is it about?” Murphy poured a couple of fingers into a high ball glass and added a twist of lemon before handing it to his guest who had taken a seat in one of the chairs across the desk from his own. Murphy took his own seat after handing Wells his drink and sat back, waiting for his guest to speak.

Wells looked reflective for a moment, obviously mulling over something. He finally reached for his jacket pocket and brought out a folded sheaf of papers and handed them to Murphy. He took a long drink to steady his nerves before speaking. “I thought you might find this interesting Mr. Murphy.”

Murphy heard Wells’ heartbeat kick in; whatever was in these papers clearly made him nervous. He took the papers and unfolded them, looking them over. It suddenly occurred to him what he was looking at – the papers that Clarke had seen in Ben Talbot’s office months ago. How the hell did Jaha turn up with them and why was he bringing them here?

“Why do you think I might be interested in these papers Detective Jaha?” Murphy asked as he watched his guest closely.

Wells took another sip and answered, “Well, they have your name and Bellamy Blake’s name on them. I don’t know who most of the other’s names are, but I thought it was something you might want to look into.”

“How did you come by this list Detective?”

“I first saw it several months ago in Ben Talbot’s office, but he destroyed them, believing them to be a hoax of some kind. I ran across it again today in the possession of a fellow investigator. I don’t know who compiled the list but for some reason they are trying to get someone to investigate it. Since your name is on it, I brought it to you. Had Bellamy been in town I would have taken it to him.”

“I see,” Murphy said, still curious as to what Jaha might know about it all. “And you have an idea or opinion as to what this list of names means?” Ah, Jaha’s heartbeat skipped a couple of beats and then beat a rapid staccato for a minute. He knew something that he wasn’t saying.

“Not really, but it seems to me that it isn’t a good thing. Mr. Murphy, I am very loyal to my friends, to people I care about and if there were any threat to them, I would want them protected.” Wells meant Cami as much as Clarke and he decided that maybe honesty was best here and hoped that Murphy didn’t believe in shooting the messenger. “Mr. Murphy, I am currently dating a very lovely young woman by the name of Cami Kinney. I care about her a great deal, as I do for Clarke and Bellamy Blake and if their lives or existences were in any way threatened, I want to be prepared to help neutralize that threat.”

Murphy digested the information with a blank look on his face; centuries of masking his features made him seem calm but in reality, he was astounded by what Wells was saying, or rather what he wasn’t saying. He knew about vampires? Or he guessed? Were things far enough along with Cami that she had told him? No matter what Murphy was going to find out what the hell he knew and decide whether he could be trusted.

“Detective Jaha, may I call you Wells?” he asked as when Wells nodded, he continued. “I believe that you are trying to tell me something without actually saying it. Now, begin again and just say it please.” He leaned forward and rested his arms on his desk, deadly attentive as to what Wells might say.

Wells swallowed hard and decided that this was the moment – what happened next might determine whether he lived or died. And since he was determined to live he chose his words carefully. “I believe that those names are vampires Mr. Murphy. Maybe not all and I don’t understand the fictional or historical names but still, I believe you, and Bellamy and some of those other names I know are vampires. Now before you decide to take me out please understand that no one has told me this, but I believe I’m right.”

“I see. And you believe you are correct why?”

“Months ago, Finn, Clarke’s then boyfriend told me that Bellamy was a vampire, something that I found totally impossible. But over time I noticed things, how Bellamy’s hands always felt chilled and that he seemed physically very agile, more so than even an above average guy. Actually, what really convinced me was when Tejada turned up missing; one of the girls there said she saw a devil, with huge teeth and a snout like a dog. That part was exaggerated I believe but the teeth made sense. Busto’s told us tales of ‘El Diablo’ referring to Bellamy. It just all seemed to make sense. Look, I admire the hell out of him for taking Tejada out because he would never have been convicted in the criminal system. Since then I’ve just paid attention.”

“And attention tells you that there are vampires?” Murphy asked quietly. It seemed that Wells Jaha was very astute and that could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what he planned on doing.

“Yes, it does. Look, you don’t have to confirm or deny it Mr. Murphy. Just know that I am on your side and my thought in bringing you this information was only to let you know what was going on. Nothing more, well other than to tell you that I intend to protect Cami and the Blakes in any way possible.”

“You realize that if I were a vampire, I could kill you in a snap,” he said, smacking the desktop quickly, making the glasses and pens on the desk rattle wildly from the force of the blow. “Especially if I thought that you were going to tell _anyone_ about this.”

“I understand that Mr. Murphy, but to me the risks out-weighed the consequences. I won’t risk letting Cami be hurt if there is some kind of war starting.”

“War? You think this heralds war?”

“I don’t know what it heralds, but I don’t think it’s just a friendly list of names. You have my word, my allegiance, my oath, whatever it takes to make you understand that I only want you all protected.”

The words stunned Murphy, shocked him in a way that he could rarely recall happening. “Why?”

“Why? Because something’s, some people are worth standing up and fighting for, regardless of what,” he stumbled for a word for a moment. “Regardless of what type of being they are.”

Murphy nodded, still amazed at what had happened. Wells hadn’t exactly won him over completely, but he did trust the detective for some reason, as displaced as that trust could turn out to be. He’d definitely be watching what he did, that was for sure. 

“Alright Wells, for now we’ll see what happens.” He stood up, signaling that the meeting was over and when Wells rose as well, he shook his hand and registered the clear look in the detective’s eyes. He was sincere Murphy believed, but sincerity could still mean betrayal, all in innocence. “You will not tell another person about this, do I make myself clear?” he asked, meeting Wells look.

“Yes, I do understand that.”

Murphy walked to the door and opened it as his guest walked silently out. He shut it and quickly made some calls. A short while later Roan, Miguel, and Tango arrived, all curious about why Murphy had insisted they get over to Murphy immediately.

Murphy explained his meeting with Wells and the others listened carefully. He then showed them the list and watched as they digested the information.

“Idea’s gentlemen?” Murphy asked the group.

“There are vamps on that list to be sure, but there are human’s as well. Some of them are currently in the Legion aren’t they Miguel?” Roan stated.

“Yes, currently and some of them from the past. He pointed to several names indicating that they had been members several hundred years ago. “They were members who were all involved in VALA though, not renegades.”

“So, it isn’t vampires who created the list most likely but Miguel could it be some of those renegade Legion members?”

“Unlikely Tango, I don’t even know of any that are left. Most of us know that the peace is kept by working together.” Those words sparked a memory for him, as it did for Murphy.

“What if…do you think Murphy?”

Murphy nodded and said, “I think so. I think we may be dealing with the Equalizers, but the question is, why? What do they have to gain by this?”

“Who are the Equalizers?” Tango asked.

Murphy and Roan shared a glance and Murphy nodded at him to speak. “They are a fringe group who surface every century or so; mostly vampires but they have human subjugates whose desire is to be allowed to become vamps. Why they would do this I’m not sure though.”

“Do you think they are trying to cause war between us?” Miguel asked. Something about all this was wrong, just …off.

“Perhaps. If we’re fighting, we either expose ourselves or we’re not watching what they are doing. A war between Legion and vamps would make a damn good decoy. What do they want to do?” Murphy said, growing angrier by the minute. He stood up and paced in the room for a few moments. “Any idea where we might find Malcolm?”

“Haven’t heard anything of him for a very long time. Likely has a new name by now. I have some contacts that usually keep a fairly good idea on them; I’ll see if they know anything.”

Murphy nodded, a jerky movement that demonstrated his anger. “Okay, then let’s just all keep our heads about us until we get more information.”

Tango took a drink from his glass, tipping it up before he realized he had already drained it. “How trustworthy is this Detective Jaha?” Tango asked. “Do we have a problem with him that we need to take care of?”

Murphy had been asking that same question to himself. What did they do with Jaha?


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late this afternoon. I'm not sure how everyone is doing but frankly last nights episode has ripped me apart. I won't say anything else about it for those who have not watched yet but to me it was so needless.
> 
> In this chapter a visitor to Seattle is desperate to see Clarke but what are the repercussions of that visit? Raven gets a phone message that surprises and pleases her and she and Murphy have a bit of a chat.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and that things get better for the 100;

Chapter 20

Tango and Miguel had left to attend to business leaving Murphy and Roan in Murphy’s office. The nightscape of the city was spread before the two old friends, twinkling lights that lit the imaginations of children everywhere and also made vampires feel the pull of the hunt.

Both men puffed on cigars from Murphy’s collection of fine contraband Cubans. The fragrant smoke wafted through the office as both men relaxed. The group had decided to watch Wells Jaha just to take his measure; Murphy believed that he wouldn’t tell anyone, and Murphy inquired to Roan what he knew of the relationship between Cami and Wells.

“I know that she has not yet told him that she is a vampire,” he answered, thinking fondly of Cami. She was as much a daughter to him as was possible even more so than Raven if that were possible. He had mentored her and sheltered her because from the beginning she showed much promise. He had never known her to become romantically involved with any man but the fact that she was dipping her toes into the romantic pool pleased Roan greatly, especially if the man had as much integrity and bravery as Wells Jaha seemed to have. 

“How does she intend to try to keep it from him? Not that she has to now, but I’m certainly curious. Does she understand about vampiric sexual situations Roan?”

“Well, to be honest we’ve not ever discussed that. Perhaps it is time, although it might be better coming from another female,” he said, thinking over the possibilities. Thinking along that vein of thought made him wonder about Raven. He decided to test the waters here and asked, “So, did you notice how well Raven and Tango got along the other night? She was very animated with him, so unlike her?” He eyed Murphy’s response through half-closed eyes while swirls of smoke circled his head and was rewarded when Murphy bit down hard on the cigar, taking a large piece off the end of it. He wisely said nothing about that.

“I didn’t notice anything of the kind; she was just being a good hostess. The evening would have gone quite well if not for the situation with her parents.”

“Hm, possibly. Murphy, I know that the issues with her parents bring a good deal of pain to Raven; I think it would behoove you to not ask her too much about it. She doesn’t say anything, and I try to respect that.”

“I think that son of a bitch hurt her Roan; maybe he molested her or beat her or something but when I find out and I WILL find out, if he’s done something to her he will pay with his life.”

“You are championing our fair Raven then?”

“I would fight for anyone in that situation. Raven is special, well a really smart and uh, special woman. She doesn’t deserve to have to drag around a past like that. She needs to find happiness and lo…well she just needs to be secure is all.”

“Um hm, I understand Murphy.” And he did, he understood far more than his old friend did and he was very pleased with the knowledge that Murphy cared for her; she would be safe and well-loved in Murphy’s life. Roan remembered when Murphy first met Sarah Whitley in New York. He ran into them at the Plaza one evening and he could see that Murphy was shining with the love he felt for the young woman. While he wouldn’t admit it Murphy needed and wanted love in his life, lasting love and Sarah seemed to provide that for him. He didn’t know what happened after that because by the time that Murphy came back to LA he mentioned Sarah no more and Roan didn’t ask, sure that it must have been heartbreaking for the young man.

Roan decided to change the subject as Murphy was now staring darkly off into the night. “How are your friends Bellamy and Clarke? She is doing well after her turning?”

“I think she is doing quite well and she seems very happy. Bellamy on the other hand is being his usual dark and gloomy self. He is convinced that he did something wrong in the turning or his blood is bad or something because Clarke claims that she can taste food, coffee, that kind of thing.”

Roan perked up at that bit of information. “So can she?”

“She says she can. Drinks coffee every day and recently she had a chance to taste a condiment of some kind and knew what she was tasting. I told Bellamy that he should just agree with her and when eventually she realizes that she can’t taste it will be fine.”

“So you do not believe that she has the ability to taste something other than blood?”

“Roan, Clarke is talented but let’s be realistic; vampires can’t taste anything but blood. Bellamy believes it is her attempt to hang onto the mortal coil that makes her believe she can taste, but frankly I don’t see that; she loves being a vamp and she is going to make a great one. She seems to have some precognitive skills and her perception abilities are outstanding.”

“She is adapting to blood then?”

“She prefers it from the vein, although she hasn’t had anyone’s but Bellamy’s. He’s afraid to teach her how to drink fresh, but I think she is going to win that battle.”

“Yes, whether they drink fresh often or not she needs to be skilled in the art. I hope he will change his mind soon. It will be best all around.” 

Roan left after that, heading back to the penthouse that he used when in town. He was curious about Clarke Blake and her unusual abilities, very curious indeed.

):(

Raven walked into Murphy warily; she intended to apologize to Murphy about her behavior, but she still felt a bit vulnerable about it all. She wanted to talk with Cami first and sort of get her bearings but as luck would have it, almost the first person she saw was Murphy.

For the past few days, she had felt so ashamed of her behavior towards Murphy. She knew that he had only been trying to help her when he followed her outside but she was so caught up in the pain that seeing her parents brought that she just needed time to cool down. None of it was Murphy’s fault; he had no idea how she would react to seeing her parents or that it was best to just leave her alone for a few minutes. The truth was that she would not have gone back into the party, but she would have at least said good bye to Murphy somehow.

She was just a screw up, she knew. The only people she felt comfortable with were few she let into her heart, Clarke, Harper, Abby, Roan, a few others she guessed. What scared her was that she began to realize that she was letting Murphy in too and she knew that would be a terrible thing to do. In the end, her inability to have a trusting, caring relationship with a man always made her run. Her heart wasn’t impervious to the pain either, it wasn’t only the men that suffered, but she didn’t know how to feel safe with someone, to feel the love that they offered. In her home, there was no such thing as unconditional love; she learned that lesson early on. You were only worth as much as much as you could bring to the table and since she wasn’t ever able to do that she withdrew her heart, tucking it away and only letting it out around those few people who loved her no matter what.

Murphy looked up from the paperwork he was perusing and saw Raven standing near the reception desk looking around her as if she would rather be anywhere else. She looked stunning in Dior he thought; a chic suit in navy linen with a white and red scarf tied fashionably around her neck. Beautiful, so very beautiful he thought.

He walked towards her, smiling broadly and feeling ridiculously happy to see her. When she caught his eye she looked as if she wanted to crawl under the nearest desk. 

“Raven, welcome. Please, come to my office for a moment and have a cup of coffee,” he said, heading towards a doorway at the back of the office.

It was the last thing she wanted to do but she figured it would be better to apologize in private so she followed him. The doorway led down a hall to another office where a young blonde male sat, working at a computer and answering the phone. Murphy stood patiently for a moment and waited for him to finish the call.

“Mr. Murphy, that was Allen Burch; he asked me to tell you that the Baker deal was off by 50,000 shares.”

Murphy ground his teeth together for a moment; this was exactly why they needed this new system. 50,000 shares translated into 3 and a half million dollars; the hits were getting bigger and bolder and it was time for the person or persons perpetrating the scams took some hits themselves.

“Alright, thank you for the message Thor. This is Ms. Raven Reyes and she will be instituting the training system for the company. Raven, this is Thor Iverson, my assistant and you will be coordinating training times with him. Thor please bring Ms. Reyes a cup of coffee into my office.”

“How would you like your coffee Ms. Reyes?”

“I’d rather have tea if you have it. Truthfully, I’m not much of a coffee drinker. I take about an inch of coffee and 4 inches of cream; not very figure friendly,” she laughed.

“Yes, we do have tea, I’ll bring you a cup,” Thor said with a smile. 

Raven followed Murphy into his office, completely impressed. All very modern but comfortable as well. They took a seat on the Minotti leather sofa and as Raven sat back, she luxuriated in the butter soft leather comfort. She crossed her legs and suddenly felt terribly self-conscious; it was time to get it over with and just when she opened her mouth to speak there was a knock on the door and Thor entered with a tray that bore her tea and several pieces of biscotti. She and Murphy both thanked him, and he left with a polite nod, closing the door behind him.

“Murphy, I want to apologize about hi…about the other night, losing my temper the way I did. I am so sorry that I – I slapped you like that. I just wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Raven, it’s alright. I have to admit I don’t quite understand happened, but I know that seeing your parents upset you a great deal. Please, let me make up for my mistake by taking you to dinner on Friday night, informal, a drive up the coast to a nice little seafood restaurant that is run by some friends of mine. It’s lovely and quiet, I promise.”

She couldn’t believe it; she was the one who should be making amends and yet he got her flowers and now the invitation. She knew that she shouldn’t go, that she was giving him hope for something that could never be but she wanted to go, very badly. Before she could stop herself she said, “Yes, I’d enjoy that very much. Thank you for being so gracious Murphy; and also, for the beautiful roses, I loved them.”

“You are very welcome. Well, now that we got that done shall we discuss business?” he stated and she couldn’t help but notice a twinkle in his eyes. Obviously, he felt victorious; if he only knew that she wasn’t worth it.

):(

Bellamy had just climbed out of the shower and was slipping his jeans on when he heard a vehicle pull up outside. It wasn’t usual for that to happen because if it were Tim and Mary they normally walked. Maybe they had a delivery for them because Clarke had been going crazy ordering DVD’s for their home library. Good thing there was no limit on the little plastic card he thought with a laugh. 

At the knock on the door he grabbed a Henley as he heard Clarke rush to the door and throw it open. The next thing he heard was her wild scream and he ran to the top of the stairs and saw her grabbing someone, still screaming.

_Shit!_ “Clarke…NO!” he yelled and then vaulted from the second story landing to the floor below and prepared to pull her off of their unwitting human guest when he realized she was talking excitedly to him; and by him he realized it was Wells Jaha.

She wasn’t biting or attacking; she was hugging him and babbling about how excited she was to see him. Wells was beaming, happy to see her too and from the look he gave Bellamy happy to see him too. He stuck his hand out so he could shake Bellamy’s hand and then at the last moment pulled him to him for a brief hug.

“Bellamy, so glad to see you. And Clarke, you look beautiful; Seattle evidently agrees with you.” He stood there grinning at them both and then looked around the huge house in surprise. Seemed pretty damned big for just the two of them he thought.

“Wells, come on in. Would you like some coffee?” Clarke asked and at his nod she said, “Come on into the kitchen and I’ll make us a pot.”

Bellamy followed along and wondered how in the hell Wells had found them; he evidently was a damn good detective he acknowledged. Another thought suddenly struck him; Clarke hadn’t attacked. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t though, and it would be impossible to get her to drink a glass of blood with Wells in the kitchen with them. He’d have to get him out of there so Clarke could have at least one pint.

In the kitchen she went about making the coffee as Wells stood at the windows admiring the view. He could see Seattle in the distance and commented, “I’ll bet at night this is a fantastic view of the city.”

“Yes, it is. It’s so peaceful here Wells, I really do love it.”

_Clarke, I’m going to take him on a tour of the house. I want you to drink at least one pint of blood while we’re gone._ The words were spoken in vamp tones and Clarke nodded her head in assent.

“Wells, while the coffee is brewing would you like a tour of the house?”

“Sure, it’s really large isn’t it?”

“Yes, it was originally a hunting lodge…” the words trailed off as they left the kitchen and Clarke walked to the hidden fridge and poured a large glass of O+ and drank it straight down as Bellamy had asked. It was kind of weird she decided while she rinsed out the glass and put it into the dishwasher, she could smell his blood, which was strange enough, but she didn’t feel like drinking it. Partly, she really wasn’t hungry but the blood lust that Bellamy had worried about just didn’t manifest. She decided that she was really happy about that because she would have hated herself if she would have attacked him. She looked up as the men came back into the kitchen a few minutes later and she smiled at them, Bellamy in particular to let him know that she had done what he asked.

The men sat at the table and Clarke poured two cups of coffee and sat some sugar on the table for Wells since he liked his coffee sweet and black. She added a spoon for him and then sat down, raising the cup to her nose and inhaling the stimulating aroma with a smile.

“Not a coffee drinker Bellamy?” Wells asked curiously. He knew that vamps could drink things because Cami did often, sometimes coffee and a couple of times beer or other drinks. He’d even seen her drink a Coke at the ballpark that night. 

“No, not really my thing.” He looked at Wells, sipping his own coffee appreciatively and finally said, “How did you find us Wells? We’re kind of tucked away here.” _And on a property under the name of Sandoval!_

“Yes, you are and tracking you down with a different name wasn’t easy either. But I have a friend on the Seattle force that got me a list of PI’s in this area for the past dozen years. It seemed like this was a sure bet so here I am. I do have a purpose for being here Bellamy.”

Bellamy sat back in the chair; eyes narrowed as he listened to what Wells had said. He really had to give him credit for finding them but if Wells could, so could others and that worried him. “Okay Wells, what is your purpose for being here?”

Wells sat the cup of coffee down and took a deep breath. “Well, for starter’s I was really worried when you guys left town so suddenly; forgive me but it just didn’t seem like something you would do. You, meaning you Bellamy,” he said and nodded towards Clarke before continuing. “This one, yes, so impulsive it would drive a person crazy. But not you Bellamy, I think you think about everything and weigh the options. No, whatever brought you here was unexpected and out of your control I’m betting.”

Wells took a sip of the brew and continued, “I think you have to be careful, weigh the options to keep your secret. You know, when Finn first told me that you were a vampire I didn’t believe it but then I started watching. I know that you are a vampire Bellamy; I know that you took Tejada out and for that I am one grateful son of a bitch because the human justice system wouldn’t have done it.” He finished and watched Bellamy and Clarke both, trying to gauge their reactions.

Bellamy smiled for a moment and Clarke recognized that it was his dangerous smile. Wells was right about one thing, Bellamy was thinking it through, and it didn’t look good for Wells. Bellamy’s eyes bore into the detective and for a moment Wells saw them silver in the afternoon sunshine that filtered through the windows.

“Look, I’m on your side. I’m dating Cami now, seriously, and I’ll do anything to protect her and both of you as well. Clarke, do you remember that list of names that Ben had a few months back?”

“Yes, I do. What does that have to do with this?”

“Luca Fiorentino came up with a copy of it. I made another copy and took it to John Murphy since you weren’t in town. Ben destroyed his copy; he thought it was just a hoax. Maybe someone didn’t like that and got Luca a copy? I don’t know what he will do with it but to me it seems like someone wants those names investigated and if you are in trouble Bellamy that means that Clarke could be too and others. I can’t risk it. I won’t risk it.”

Bellamy let out a long sigh while Clarke sat quietly, her eyes moving back and forth from Bellamy to Wells. She couldn’t tell what Bellamy was thinking and that scared her. She didn’t want anything to happen to Wells and knew that she would have to stand up for him if it came to that. She hoped that it didn’t.

Bellamy was thinking what Wells had said about Murphy; could his friend really have listened to all this and not taken Wells out right away? So, if he hadn’t, he must have believed Wells. “What did Murphy tell you Wells?”

“Well, he didn’t confirm or deny anything, but he also made it quite clear that this is a secret that cannot be revealed. I already understood that and I promised him that I would never betray him or any of the others.”

“So did Cami tell you?” Bellamy couldn’t help but be curious about that.

“No, she hasn’t said anything,” he told them with a smile. “So far it has gone okay; we’ve avoided the food issue by her saying that she has a food allergy. There are a lot of things I don’t understand though, like how you can be in the sun?” He looked around at the copious amounts of sunlight that streamed into the house.

Wells looked at Clarke and could have sworn that she mouthed, ‘tell him’ but he didn’t hear a word. Bellamy nodded and then closed his eyes for a moment. Obviously, he didn’t want to do this, but then again he didn’t exactly have a choice.

“We can be in sunlight, in limited quantities. They longer we are in the sun the worse we feel. The younger the vamp is, the more intense it is and the more it hurts.”

“So how does Clarke tolerate all this sunshine?” Bellamy opened his mouth as if to protest and Wells stopped him by saying, “Look, I know that something had to have happened, something unexpected and that’s why you are here. But these windows everywhere, it must be painful for her.” He looked at Clarke with concern.

She smiled and patted his hand and he looked down when he felt how chilly it was. For a moment his heart skipped a beat at the sadness of it all. Clarke was so full of life; was she happy?

“The windows are special made to let the sun in and keep out the harmful rays. When Clarke was first turned it was hard for her, but it’s better now.”

“Um, okay. What happened?”

Bellamy looked down, and Clarke’s eyes welled with tears as she watched her husband’s perceived guilt over it all. “I was attacked at a beach party, at Raven’s house. Bellamy had to turn me, or I would have died. Well, essentially I did die but as you can see, I’m fine.”

Wells listened and the cop immediately surfaced in him. “What happened to the attacker? Are they still out there?”

“No, no she isn’t. Raven killed her, knocked her into the fire.” Clarke spared a lot of the details, this was enough.

“Raven? Oh my god. She, it’s just that… Raven?”

“Yes. She was protecting me and it all happened so fast. Kelly ran at me, sliced my throat and Raven just pushed. She fell into the fire and well, that was the end of her.”

“So, fire kills vampires? Anything else?”

“Cutting off our heads. Fairly simple really.”

“A stake to the heart doesn’t kill vampires?”

“No, only paralyzes us, sort of like handcuffs for vampires but real handcuffs won’t do the job, we can break right out of them,” Clarke said. Bellamy still hadn’t said a word.

“Are you happy Clarke?”

She smiled at him, the brilliant happy smile that he always admired. “Yes, I’m ecstatically happy. I was always going to be turned anyway, it just happened before we planned it.” Changing the subject, she said, “What are you going to do about Cami? She is wonderful Wells, but I don’t think she has any real experience with men.”

“You are right, she doesn’t according to Raven. I’ll just be patient and let her tell me in her own time. Things haven’t really gotten physical yet and I’m okay with that because she sure is worth waiting for.”

“I’m so happy to hear you say that Wells. I think so too.”

“Is – is it different for vampires? I mean, well, you know what I mean.” 

Clarke watched as a slow flush darkened his skin, taking it from mild café au lait to dark chocolate. Clarke couldn’t help but chuckle and then as she saw his face fall, she said, “No, not really different, the act I mean Wells. Nothing has been rearranged or changed. But Wells, there is one thing you need to know.” She saw Bellamy’s eyes open wide in surprise because he knew what she was going to say. “When it comes to the finish, she needs to bite Wells. Not like hurt you bite but she needs to use her fangs, bite gently so she can uh, you know.”

“Fangs? She really has fangs?” He’d never seen a hint of them. “Do you?”

Clarke giggled and said, “Of course!” She closed her eyes for a moment and then smiled so he could see the dainty pair of fangs that she was very proud of.

“Holy shit. Damn, they look sharp.” He reached out a hand as if to touch and Bellamy grabbed it, keeping it away from Clarke and her baby fangs that he wasn’t sure she could control.

“Don’t Wells. She’s a fledgling and she might…well, she might hurt you. They are very sharp though, I assure you.”

“Wow, do you have to uh, I mean do you eat people?”

“We get out blood from the blood bank, in bags.”

He laughed outright. “I guess times have changed huh? No more Dracula stalking and killing the impoverished masses.”

“Make no mistake Wells, there are still horrible vamps out there that will do that. We have to police our own to keep that from happening.” Bellamy said, wanting Wells to understand that there was justice for vamps.

“Vampire justice makes sense. I mean, I don’t think a vamp in a human jail would work well.”

“You are correct. So again, I say, this cannot go any farther than us Wells. What happens with Cami is between you two but you are sharp enough to know that if word got out about the existence of vampires it would mean war.”

Wells nodded; he most certainly did understand that. He was also afraid that the list meant that very thing was heading their way.

):(

When Raven got home that evening, she had a message on her home machine, which was unusual. Everyone usually called her on her cell, so she punched the play button expecting to hear a sales pitch of some kind.

_Raven my dear, I do hope this is the Raven Reyes who sent me the lovely flowers. I called information and this was the number they gave me for a Raven Reyes. If I have the wrong number, please excuse this message. I just wanted to thank you for the lovely flowers and to invite you to come back for tea again. Just give me a call and let me know if you would like to do that._

She left her number and Raven smiled, pleased to hear from Mrs. Carter. She decided that she would love to go to tea with her and dialed the number.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovely readers. I'm sort of sad because this is the last day of publishing daily. On Tuesday we'll go back to regular posting days. It has been enjoyable and I've gotten to communicate with a few new people, but let me explain that a bit more in the end notes. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks so much to all who are reading and enjoying the extra chapters. And easilydistractedbyfanfic? I think you are going to appreciate the rest of the chapters of this story.
> 
> In this chapter, Raven and Murphy have dinner and are met by some unforeseen issues at the end of the date. We also get a bit more of the Tango/Raven dynamic. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

I have a song that runs throughout this chapter. It’s So Far Away by Hall and Oates. It’s a great song and so perfect for Raven and Murphy.

_So close, yet so far away…_

The drive up the beach was wonderful; the sun was beginning to sink over the Pacific strewing the sky with brilliant golden hues interspersed with streaks of orange and red. Raven sighed and leaned back in the seat, content and comfortable for the first time in a while.

Murphy was still thinking about when she had answered her door earlier. If it were possible for a vampire to have his breath taken away, he had surely suffered that fate. She was stunning he decided, no doubt about it. She was dressed in some sort of gauzy trousers, wide legged and billowing in the breeze. The tunic top was halter style and left her back bare. A chunky silver chain belt hung low on her waist and silver jewelry was also present on her wrists, delicate little bangles that tinkled when her hands moved. An exquisite choker circled her neck with a lustrous amethyst hanging from it. White strappy sandals completed her ensemble and while she was breathtakingly beautiful he also clearly got the message that she was off limits.

He couldn’t help staring at her and as she closed her door and dropped the keys into her small bag she leaned up and whispered in his ear, “White gold Murphy. Close your mouth now.” With a cheeky grin tossed carelessly over her shoulder Murphy could only follow her to the elevator, in complete bewilderment. Hearing her voice brought him back to the present and he cast her a brief look as she spoke.

“Where are we going for dinner – well, my dinner anyway?”

“To a little seafood place up the coast, another half an hour or so. Fresh seafood Italian style and absolutely divine I’m told. They are also ‘family’ friendly, so we’ll both be eating tonight.”

“’Family friendly’,” she asked, confused.

“Meaning ‘vampire friendly’. Actually, one of my security people’s sister and her husband own it. Claudio has been with me for 20 years, ever since he was turned. Stella and Angelo have been very accepting of his new life.”

“You know, with all the talk about the ‘secret’ a lot of people, human’s I mean know it,” she said, thinking of Abby and Marcus, even Carl because Murphy had told her that he had come to him with information.

“More than I would like, but sometimes it’s hard to keep things quiet. In this day and age, where DNA and fingerprints are a part of everyday life and humans are in constant communication it’s hard to keep the ‘secret’ from family especially. In the past when you were turned you moved on to protect family but it’s really easy to trace people now days and for such a large world it’s also a very small community. When I was first turned 100 miles would have likely ensured that I would not run into family or friends; that sure wouldn’t be the case nowadays.”

“It all comes back to the accessibility brought on by computers essentially doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does. They make it easier to do business and stay in contact with loved ones but they also track your every movement. Big Brother really is watching, in ways that people can’t even begin to imagine yet.”

“So, vampires ‘hide’ in plain site? But you can’t live among any human groups for long can you? I mean, you don’t age and that has to be a dead giveaway.”

“Relocation is the vampire’s friend. Except that now it is harder than ever; hard to disappear and harder still to surface again with a new identity. I can see a day when DNA is taken at birth and used to track you your whole life. What will happen then I’m not sure, but it won’t be good.”

Raven was quiet for a while, digesting his grim prediction and watching as the sun slipped into the arms of darkness and the stars began to come out. Before she knew it they were at the restaurant and she was sniffing the air appreciatively.

“Certainly smells good,” she said as Murphy opened the car door for her and held his hand out to help her out of the car.

He grinned and had to keep himself from whistling at the site of her as she came lightly to her feet. Her long and lustrous hair was pulled back into a sleek chignon with wispy strands blowing a bit around her face. He held out his arm and she placed hers through it as they walked into the restaurant.

“Oh, Murphy!” a beautiful older woman said, coming to greet him with a kiss on each cheek. “We were so excited to see your name on the reservation list tonight. Angelo ordered something special for you,” she laughed.

Murphy introduced Raven to Stella who was just as welcoming and gracious to her as she had been to Murphy. “Welcome Raven! We’re very happy to meet you. Murphy, I have your table set up in the garden, as you requested. Please, follow me,” she said and led them though the back of the restaurant and out a door into a private garden area. 

After they were seated and waiting for their wine Raven couldn’t decide what smelled better, the food or the multitudes of flowers that grew everywhere in the area. She smelled gardenia and hyacinth, roses and jasmine, all sharing their essence in a miasmic swirl of fragrance in the candle-lit evening air.

Raven looked at the menu and decided on the house special which tonight was a lobster pasta dish with a creamy and fiery sauce that Stella assured her was delicious. In the Italian tradition, the meal was started with anti pasti, melon balls in an orange liqueur that were sweet and potent. Next came tiger prawns, large and succulently grilled with a honey glaze. Following that was her pasta and she inhaled the delicious aroma deeply and sighed with anticipation. Her first bite melted in her mouth, the seafood and paste drenched in a creamy sauce that had a definite bite to it. Following that was her ‘insalata mista’, a mixed green salad and to finish the meal she indulged in tiramisu and wasn’t a bit sorry that she had.

“Oh goodness, you’re going to have to carry me out to the car Murphy; I’ve eaten way too much!” she laughed. “Let’s hope I’ll even still fit into the car!”

She looked so happy in the candlelit evening scape; her face relaxed and satisfied as her eyes twinkled in the light of the nearly full moon and candles. They sat and chatted a few minutes more before heading out to the car. It was a comfortable evening; the talk was light and non-personal for the most part and they both felt the tension between them ease.

As they drove along the PCH heading south and back to LA both of them were loath to end the happiness of the evening. When Murphy proposed they stop and walk along the deserted beach a bit she readily agreed, eager to stretch the evening out just a bit more. 

She kicked off her sandals by the car and walked along the sandy beach, the sand squishing warmly through her toes until they moved closer to the water where it became cool and damp. They walked perhaps a half a mile down the beach and then turned to retrace their steps back to the car, both with sadness because there was nothing left to keep them from heading back to the city.

There was a large rock formation near the car and Murphy said, “Care to sit for a bit?”

“Sure,” she said, looking at the rock. It was smooth looking but about 4 feet high and she wondered how she was going to get up there. Murphy effortlessly lifted her up onto it before jumping up to take a seat beside her with a cock-eyed grin, which she returned feeling inordinately pleased at this turn of events.

Raven took a deep breath and stared out at the Pacific, anything but calm tonight due to the freshening breeze. Murphy watched as she licked her lips as if to taste the tang of salt on them and for a moment it took him back to his boyhood in Ireland. Good memories and bad, like everyone’s childhood he supposed, which brought his thoughts to a place he feared to go, and yet he couldn’t stop himself.

_Some people think, if you really believe,  
That's what you need to solve all the mysteries.  
Yea I know someone, who just heads for the sun_

“Raven, when you were a child, or uh, younger – were you abused?” There, he’d finally asked her the question that had been burning in his head ever since the night at the party. There was a powerful reason that she didn’t want to see her parents and he couldn’t think of anything else.

She turned to look at him and for a moment he thought she might slap him again because blazing anger glittered in her eyes. She pursed her lips as if contemplating her answer and finally she said, “No. Not me, never me.”

“Your mother then?” he probed. “It wasn’t her fault Raven. I’m sure she was scared.”

“Yes, scared of losing her social status if she told or even worse in her estimation, left.”

“You can’t believe that? I’m sure he had her intimidated so much that she could never break free.”

“He never intimidated her; she took it as a sort of caveat for living the lifestyle that she loved.” She saw Murphy shaking his head in denial and continued. “He was one cagey son of a bitch, I’ll give him that. He never hit her where the marks could be seen; after all, he had an image as the great and loving philanthropist to protect. But at any given time her back or legs would be black, blue and purple, with a little yellow thrown in for artistic effect or maybe even a few broken ribs. She’d just take it, and when I was really young I would beg her to not let him hit me and she didn’t, I’ll give her that. Whether or not he would have I couldn’t tell you.” She blew out a long stream of air and he noticed that she shivered. It was a warm night and not likely that the shivers were from the temperature.

He took his jacket off and wrapped it around her small shoulders and she pulled it tightly around her; he couldn’t help but notice that she inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. “There could be more to it than you realize Raven,” he told her, his voice a soft whisper in the night.

Raven scoffed at those words, knowing how wrong they were. “Once, when I was 14 it was really bad Murphy; she was on the floor and he was viciously kicking her. When the maid tried to protect her he fired her on the spot and I just stood there, watching it happen. It was almost surreal, you know? Like a movie or something, a horrible movie. When he finally walked away I ran to her and tried to pick her up, half carrying her to a chair to sit in. I said, ‘Mom, we can leave, we don’t have to stay here. C’mon Mom, let’s go right now!’ She just looked at me with these huge, weary eyes and said, “Raven, I can’t leave. Where would I go? What would I do?’ And the first thing that struck me about that was that she didn’t say ‘we’ just ‘me’. Raven watched what had happened like it was an old movie, a long ago past that couldn’t be denied or forgotten.

“I need this life Raven; I’ve worked hard for it. I won’t leave!” her mother said as she tried to sit up straighter.

All Raven could think of was getting the hell out of there. “Mom, we can make it,”’ she said, but she could also see that her mother had already dismissed the idea. Raven realized that was it – this was life. She ran out of the house and went to Clarke’s house and ended up staying the night. She knew that Abby recognized something was wrong, but after asking her a couple of times she finally left it alone. Abby could see that Raven wasn’t hurt so what else could she have done. There was no evidence of any kind that it was anything other than that Raven was unhappy.” Raven’s eyes had a faraway and pained look as she recounted the tale to Murphy and it actually made his heart ache for her.

“Clarke and Abby were your sanctuary, I guess. No wonder there is such a strong bond between you all.”

“Yes, and Marcus too you know. He was always there Murphy, not only for Abby and Clarke, but me too. And part of me also felt like the _shadow man_ , Bellamy, was there for me too. One time he asked me if anyone was hurting me, touching me. I told him the truth, no, and he believed me because he could tell I wasn’t lying.” She shuddered at the memories and Murphy was distraught, wanting to help and not knowing how to do it.

“When I went home the next morning Dad was waiting for me. He cornered me in my bedroom and asked me if I’d told anyone what happened. He didn’t ask if I was okay, only if I’d told. I learned that day how insignificant I was to him. I got brave and stupid and told him I’d told everyone. I was so angry Murphy, shaking angry. He told me that if I was half as smart as he gave me credit for that was a lie. ‘Did you lie to me Raven?’ he asked, and I could see the hatred rolling off him. Now I realize it was partly fear too, but I didn’t realize it then. I remember lifting my chin and staring him square in the eyes and saying, ‘So what if I did? I’m sure you’d charm your way out of it.’ And then he hit me, backhanded me across the face and for a moment I saw stars. It was the only time he had ever hit me.

Rage just washed over me, I’d never been so angry in my life, so out of control and I lost control, I – I lost control of myself, right then in front of him and he laughed as the floor under me got wet as the urine ran down my legs and said, ‘Not so tough are you little girl’ and then he poked a finger in my face and he said ‘If you tell anybody about this they’ll never believe you anyway. They might even think you’re one of those troubled teens and put you away. Think about that!’ He left the room then and mom called my uncle and I went away for a few weeks to visit his family. It probably saved me.”

“Why didn’t you tell your uncle Raven? Let him know what was happening to his sister?” Murphy was tormented by her words; they were eating away at him like acid in his gut. He knew that before too long Michael Parker was going to be making a one way trip to the tar pits, after Murphy put him through what he’d put his wife through.

“I knew my mom wouldn’t tell the truth and I believed my dad, they might think I was troubled or crazy so I kept my mouth shut.” A huge tear rolled slowly down her cheek, shining brightly in the nearly full moon and was quickly followed by others.

“Raven,” Murphy said, his voice velvety and almost hoarse with the tension he was feeling. It felt like a tennis ball was residing in his throat making it hard to speak. He watched her turn to him, her beautiful brown eyes looking like turbulent pools to him as tears brimmed them. He reached his hands out and cupped her face, brushing the tears away with gentle fingers. His thumb gently traced over her lush lips as his eyes met hers. She rested her forehead against his briefly, and then pulled back seeking the comfort she needed and stared into his eyes, trying to read what was in them.

His gaze journeyed down her face and his eyes stopped at her lips, which she licked quickly. He saw her struggle to swallow as well and her eyes closed for a moment as if seeming to hide from what she desired. He wanted to kiss her; he knew she was waiting for it and he leaned in closer still. She had never looked more beautiful to him and as his head descended, they both heard a car pull up by the Ferrari and car doors open and then close.

He pulled back and groaned, this wasn’t going to be good. He turned around and saw three guys getting out of an old muscle car. Three punks looking for trouble he knew. “Raven, see that crevice there, between the rocks? I want you to get down in it and stay there, until I tell you its okay to come out.”

She looked down to see the spot he was talking about, straining her eyes in the darkly shadowed night. She had peeked over the rocks too and saw how many guys were out there. “Murphy, there are three of them and only one of you. Stay here, they’ll go away.”

“Yes, with my Ferrari! They aren’t going to hurt me; vampire remember?” he said, flashing his fangs at her before snapping his jaws closed as he flashed her a saucy grin. He jumped down onto the sand and pointed to the spot he wanted her to wait in then lifted her down. “Stay!”

Men always think they are invincible she muttered to herself, but she did as he asked. He stood watching the three by the Ferrari for a moment, seamlessly blending in with the outcropping rocks. Three punks, part of some gang likely judging by their attire. He supposed it was classic gang grunge, but it just looked cheap and dirty to him. With a single leap he stood before them and almost laughed at the scared look on their faces. 

“May I help you?” he asked, his voice low and controlled.

“Yeah, you can give us the keys to the car. We wanna borrow it,” was the snarky reply. Murphy observed the bandana wrapped around his head and he also sported a gold hoop earring; Murphy mentally dubbed him ‘Pirate Boy’. 

“See Pirate Boy, I’m not going to do that. Go out and buy your own Ferrari.”

“See Mr. Hot Shot, we ain’t gonna do that. Now give me the fucking keys!” As he spoke he pulled a gun out of the waistband of his baggy, saggy jeans and waved it at Murphy, holding the gun sideways like it was cooler that way. 

Murphy couldn’t hold his smirk back as before Pirate Boy could blink he’d taken the gun from him, emptied the bullets and lobbed the gun far out into the Pacific.

“What the fuck you think ya doin’ asshole? Don’t matter now because you’re a dead asshole.” He stalked to Murphy holding a knife in his hand that one of his companions had tossed to him. Murphy waited calmly and when the knife was stuck in his face he took it and snapped it in two with a growl. He was done playing and the idiots obviously weren’t going to leave. He should have known; stupidity, guns and testosterone were a lethal combination. He grabbed Pirate boy and then threw him over his shoulder. He landed about twenty feet away with a crunch and laid there for a moment, trying to shake it off before he realized his arm was broken. 

“Now, I’m telling you to get back into that piece of shit you arrived in and get the fuck out of here because I’m done playing nice with you.”

One of the others stepped forward; this one looked a bit like Johnny Depp. What, is this a pirate gang he wondered. He stood face to face with Murphy and grinned, showing that two of his teeth were gold. Murphy figured that he was probably proud of them and had a fleeting thought that it would be a shame to waste good gold but whatever, these punks weren’t going away.

Just then Johnny spoke up and said, “Let’s go get the girl that Mr. Two hundred dollar suit was romancing when we drove up, she’s probably hiding in the rocks over there,” he said, nodding to the rocks where Raven was indeed hiding.

Murphy laughed out right at the suit crack. He wanted to tell them it was Armani, but he figured they didn’t know what that was anyway. When Johnny took off at a trot to the rocks Murphy leapt in the air and landed in front of him, blocking his way.

“If you have any brains at all you are going to turn around, crawl back into that car and get out of here,” Murphy said, he eyes glowing. He added a growl and let a hint of fang show just for good measure, but it apparently didn’t faze Johnny who took another step towards him, this time with a gun in his hand. Meanwhile, the one idiot by the car was shaking his head, having seen the glowing eyes and hearing the growl.

“Come on Zip, let’s get the fuck out of here.” Murphy could hear the tremor in his voice and flashed him a broad fangy smile of appreciation. 

“Now see, your friend is the genius of the group; you should listen to his advice.”

Johnny wasn’t so easily convinced and fired the gun twice, hitting Murphy in the stomach with both shots. 

Murphy roared with fury and reached out and grabbed Johnny by the neck and snapped it cleanly and then dropped him onto the sand in an untidy heap. Before they knew what happened Pirate Boy and the one by the car had met the same fate.

Raven had been petrified when she heard the gunshots and rushed out of her hiding place, watching as Murphy killed the other two guys. When he turned to her she saw that his eyes were still glowing silver but what really caught her eye was the blood stain on his stomach. Bile rushed to her throat as fear overtook her and she rushed to him and then stopped short, afraid to touch him. “Oh my god, they shot you!” 

His eyes returned to their rich sherry color and he smiled grimly. “Idiots, so tough they thought; they wouldn’t back down.” He noticed how white she looked in the moonlight as she stared at the blood. “Raven, I’m okay. Vampire remember?” he reminded her again. “Look, I’m going to move these guys over there by the rocks and then I need to call the cleaners. Why don’t you just sit in the car and wait for me, okay?”

Her eyes were huge, but she crawled into the car seat, almost in a trance. It was real, what had just happened was real and she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, wanting it all to go away.

Murphy pushed a button on the phone and waited impatiently for it to be answered. When Tango picked up the phone he said, “I need a cleanup – and then for you to remove a couple of bullets from my abdomen.”

“Whoa, partying kind of hard tonight aren’t we?” Tango asked but already sitting up straight in his chair. He reached for a pen and asked, “Where are we going to find you?”

“There are three bodies, lying by some rocks; get the coordinates from my call. There’s a car you’ll need to take care of as well, a red piece of shit with yellow flames decorating it. The hits were clean, broken necks, no blood to worry about. In a few minutes I’ll be heading to my beach house. After the cleanup meet me there and bring something sharp!”

Tango got the coordinates and said, “You won the fight I guess but they must have one a battle or two. How many bullets Murphy?”

“Two, in the gut.” He pressed his stomach and added, “I can feel one of them, but the other is buried pretty deep.”

“Alright. Are you still a big baby when someone has to go digging for bullets?”

“No, of course not. That was a long time ago,” he declared as they both remembered a time after being ran out of a town by a torch-bearing mob. Murphy had taken a bullet in his ass and Tango had had to dig it out with Murphy complaining the whole time.

“Um hm, we’ll see.” He looked at his watch and said, “I’ll see you in an hour or so. Don’t wipe any of the blood off because it might give me a clue as to where to look for that missing slug!” Tango hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket, heading out the door to go and rescue his friend, again.

In the car Murphy found Raven, her head leaning back against the head rest and she was very pale, a repercussion of the shock he guessed. “Raven, I have a beach house near here and we’re going there okay?”

“Okay,” she murmured without opening her eyes. 

Murphy started the car and backed out, hoping the cleaners got there quickly because that car of theirs was an eyesore to him but would definitely draw attention. He pulled out onto the access road that would take them to the PCH. Raven finally opened her eyes a couple of minutes later, looking around her but not really paying any attention he noticed.

As they left the highway and took a side road that led to the beach house, she looked around her, noticing the secluded area they were in. “Is this where Clarke stayed this past summer?”

“Yes, it is. I don’t use it much but it’s comfortable. We’ll wait there for Tango to come; he’ll take the bullets out. Man, I need a drink first though!”

“Will that help? With the pain I mean?”

“No, not really but just the act alone will be soothing.” He pulled the car into a drive and reached into a console and found the remote he was looking for and pressed a button. When the door sprung open, he drove the Ferrari into the garage and closed the door. He quickly got out and was opening Raven’s door for her. She was still pale and shaky he noticed, but it was to be expected. He hated that she was upset though.

Inside he led her to the kitchen area and pointed to a bar off to the side. “Scotch please, a large one,” he stated. He started clearing the island counter off so that Tango would have some place to work on him. Raven brought back too glasses of scotch, both of them holding a good 3 fingers and they both drank deeply.

Raven coughed a bit at the sting but Murphy relished it and only wished it would help what he knew was coming. Yes, he couldn’t handle being cut into and probed, it hurt like hell. It was over with fast, but it still was miserable.

“Drink up Murphy,” she said, refilling his glass and hers.

“Raven, I’ll drink more but it won’t help at all.”

They didn’t have long to wait until the doorbell rang and Raven finished the last drink of scotch and then headed to the living room to open the door. 

“Raven? Nice to see you fair lady. And such a sight for my eyes to behold.” He tried teasing her a bit but could see that she was too concerned to appreciate it. “How is he?”

“Stubbornly refusing to drink enough to get him drunk so this won’t be so bad. He says it won’t help.”

“Well, he’s right. They only way a vamp can get drunk, so to speak is if the blood we are drinking is full of alcohol. Kinda sucks actually,” he said, uncharacteristically using American terminology.

He watched her heading back to the kitchen and noticed that she stumbled a bit. “Raven, are you quite alright? You seem a bit unsteady on your feet my dear.”

“I’m fine. I was trying to encourage his drinking by having more myself.” She gave a small hiccup and laughed. “I don’t think it did him much good but I’m feeling no pain.”

As she almost ran into a doorway and hardly even noticed, Tango had to agree with her.

_So close, yet so far away.  
So close, yet so far away.  
Who would of thought girl that we’d end up this way.  
Getting so close, so close,  
So far away._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a bellarke writer, I have been noticing recently that a lot of clexa stories have been turning up in our bellarke pages. A month or so ago while trying to navigate tumblr (I am totally incompetent at it) I ran across a few clexa writers saying that they put bellarke tags in their stories so that they end up on bellarke pages. That did really make me mad so I added a 'clexa' tag temporally, its gone now, to this story so possibly they would see how annoying it was. It was totally stupid of me, but I wanted to start a dialog to find out why there is so much hate in the different fandoms. I still don't know who the clexa writers were and heaven only knows I've never been able to find that page again. When I found those writers, I was trying to find the fan fic writers for BLM pages. Elora Lane and a few others got me thinking about it. So, what has happened is that several clexa people are targeting me and my stories. One in particular, becho has been posting so much. She (or he) alone have substantially raised my comment count, lol. I always respond sweetly because really, who's going to complain when the comment count goes up? I hope they continue - they try to hurt me with stupid and hateful comments, but as I say, let them continue, lol.
> 
> It was a stupid thing to do but there has been some positive comments by clexa writers as well. I am sort of the Monty Green of fan fic writers I guess, I want us all to do better. Let the clexa people enjoy and love their stories and the same for us. It's hard enough right now as it is what with Wednesday nights episode. I am still devastated by the senseless and tormenting way that Jrott ended Bellamy's life. On a funny note, I was blocked on twitter for a day or two because I made one too many ( or ten too many) nasty remarks on Jrotts page. But what the hell, it was worth it.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Murphy take a step that will change them and their relationship forever. But will it be for the better or will it be more than Raven can handle?
> 
> easilydistractedbyfanfic, this chapter I'm dedicating to you because you've been so faithful in your support and comments. I hope you will enjoy it.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and the support you give me. Love you guys so much.

Chapter 22

Bellamy and Clarke stood on the porch watching as Wells drove away from their home. It was a surprise to Bellamy, but he enjoyed the visit as much as Clarke did, something he couldn’t have imagined before. 

Bellamy liked Wells; he always had. In Bellamy’s estimation Wells was a decent guy with plenty of integrity and he knew that the family could only benefit by having Wells in a position to help out when needed. The fact that Wells was crazy about Cami wasn’t a bad thing either, but Bellamy knew that it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing for the two of them.

Clarke talked to Wells seriously about the aspects of being a human who cared for a vampire, sparing nothing. At first it made Bellamy uncomfortable and feel a bit edgy but as he listened, he was amazed at how much thought and care Clarke had put into her relationship with Bellamy, even before there was a ‘relationship’. A sobering thought occurred to him that he hadn’t done either one of them any favors by hiding things from her and trying to spare her feelings. It was a miracle that they actually got together, thanks mostly to his own reticence about sharing ‘vampire’ things with her. What she didn’t know was scary and what she figured out on her own, or got from Cami or Murphy or Elka made him ashamed that she had had to go to other people instead of being able to come to him, the man she loved. Clarke was an amazing woman, strong and capable and he owed it to her to help her willingly into this new life that she wanted, that she chose.

He realized that even now he was holding her back, telling himself and her that it was for her own good, but it had to stop. She was happy in this life; what she surrendered for him overwhelmed him. She embraced it all with passion and intensity as she tried to explore this new life and all he did was try to hold her back. No more.

They stepped inside the house and Clarke headed into the kitchen, pulling out blood for them both. She had controlled herself completely around Wells and Bellamy suddenly realized that she was hungry, and it must have been difficult for her. And yet she did it.

As they sat sipping their dinner she commented, “I really needed this: I had such a wonderful afternoon Bellamy.”

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I can see that Clarke; I enjoyed it too actually. And it made me realize that I’ve been holding you back, unnecessarily it seems. I’m so sorry for that baby; I promise to stop doing that. Tomorrow is the monthly street bazaar in Pratt’s Junction; the weather says it’s going to be a cloudy day, maybe even a bit of rain, but that won’t stop it from happening.”

Clarke could only smile at that; clouds for a vampire was awesome but for the ‘Sounders’ as they locals called themselves rain was just an all too ordinary occurrence and didn’t slow them down a bit.

“How about we go tomorrow? It’s a lot of fun and tomorrow evening is a street dance. Interested?” He grinned at the surprise on her face and watched as she flew into his arms and gave him huge, smacking kisses all over his face. “That’s a yes then?” he teased. 

“Oh yeah, that’s definitely a yes. Now, how about a little reward for your forward-thinking Mr. Blake?” Her kisses became a bit more passionate as they moved down his neck and her fingers stroked the bulge that was already tightening his jeans.

“Um, yes…” he told her, picking her up to head upstairs. 

):(

Wells settled back into his seat on the red-eye flight back to LA. No doubt about it, it had been good visiting Clarke and Bellamy and he was far less concerned now than he had been with her situation. 

She talked to him frankly, about the difficulties of being with a vampire; there were things he never even suspected, not the least of which was the fact that had she not been in control of herself she could have killed him when he knocked on their door. If Bellamy’s panicked reaction was anything to go by it was a serious risk. It was foolhardy he now understood.

Vampires sleep in freezers, not coffins and boy did he have questions about that one. They had super attributes that included enhanced hearing and vision, phenomenal strength and speed, it was all just mind-boggling. And they also explained that each vampire could have some variations on all that; one that Clarke seemed to have was a bit of precognition, which Bellamy, her sire didn’t have much of at all.

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of a vampire Cami was? Did she have special attributes? If Clarke and Raven were correct, she had no sexual experience as a vampire and little even as a human. The bite? She would have to bite to climax Clarke said, something that sort of made sense but was very shocking for him. Clarke said it wasn’t a vicious bite; it was a bite of love, of connection between the vampire and their lover. Of love? Was there such a thing as a bite of love?

He knew that he and Cami were going to have to talk soon, very soon in fact. Even if she still wasn’t ready to go to the physical level (and it was alright with him if she wasn’t) her vampirism needed to be brought out in the open between them. It didn’t matter to him; she was an amazing woman, beautiful and yet so shy and it made him ache to protect her. He had to smile at that because it sure looked like that table was over-turned – she’d be the one protecting him.

So how do you tell your girlfriend that you know she is a vampire? He knew he’d be finding out very soon.

):(

Tango followed Raven into the kitchen, watching her move unsteadily on the way and hoping that she didn’t take a tumble. She was barefoot which probably meant that the shoes they found on the beach were hers he decided. In the kitchen he found Murphy leaning against a counter top sipping from a glass of scotch. 

“Took you long enough to get here!”

“Well, we did have a few things to take care of first Murphy.”

“Mm, what did you do with the bodies and the car?”

“Ah, it’s tragic you see. The car will go over a very high cliff; the gas tank will rupture and the fools were smoking when it happened. Blew it totally up, nothing left at all. Especially bodies. Very sad…”

“Stupid young punks, I told them to get the hell out of there.”

“Yes, well I assume that they did not listen to your sage advice at all.” As he spoke Tango was looking at Murphy’s shirt, a silk Prada number that was nothing but rags now due to the two perfect holes in the front of it, both decorated with a ring of blood. He sat a small black bag down on the counter and told Murphy to take his shirt off.

Murphy rolled his eyes and started to unbutton the shirt. When he got it off he balled it up and tossed it across the room where it fluttered down into a silky pool onto the floor.

“Honestly Murphy, are you going to be tiresome about this? I didn’t shoot you and you can drop the attitude immediately or I’ll leave you to it.”

Murphy wisely shut his mouth and lay down on the countertop with Raven hovering over him, concern written starkly upon her face. As he probed at the two bloody spots on Murphy’s stomach he frowned. “This one I can feel, but the other isn’t going to be easy. It’s in a denser area and could be hiding around the gall bladder possibly. Raven, will you see if there are any kitchen towels in here and if you find them could you possibly dampen a couple for me. There won’t be much blood, but we’ll need something to wipe it up.”

“Of course,” she told him, wobbling across the short distance to the bank of kitchen drawers. She finally found what she was looking for and pulled two towels out and ran them under warm water, wringing them out before taking them back to the counter top. “Here Tango; do you think two are enough?”

“Yes, that will be very helpful.” He opened the black bag that looked an awful lot like a shaving kit to Raven and pulled out a wickedly sharp looked scalpel, holding it up to the light to check its edge.

“Do you need some alcohol or something to sterilize it or iodine or something for the wound?”

“Won’t be necessary. Raven, my sweet are you at all squeamish about blood?”

“No-oo. I don’t think so,” she told him, watching as Tango set the instrument against Murphy’s belly.

“Alright then, let’s get started.” He placed a small incision diagonally across Murphy’s stomach and pulled it apart with his fingers before slicing another layer.

“Son of a bitch! What the hell are you doing down there?” Murphy asked while trying to lift his head so that he could see what Tango was doing.

Tango reached over and pushed on Murphy’s forehead making a small thump when it hit the granite countertop. “Lay still Murphy,” Tango told him never taking his eyes off the incision. He reached into the bag and felt around for something that he couldn’t find. “Raven, will you please look in the bag and find a small pair of forceps that I have in there?”

Raven reached across Murphy and grabbed the bag. She pulled it open and looked for something that resembled forceps and finally found a small pair that looked more like an alligator clip than forceps except that it was on longer handles. “Is this what you need Tango, this thing with the teeth?”

“Yes, it is,” he said as he held his hand out for the instrument. 

Murphy was laying on the counter sweating profusely, his gut tightening from the strain of trying to lie still while Tango’s fingers probed the incision. He let out a huge yelp when Tango made contact with the bullet which shifted beneath his fingers. “What the fuck are you doing in there?”

“Murphy, you would do well to remember that I currently have my fingers in your gut; don’t piss me off. Now shut up and lie still and stop being such a baby. This isn’t the first time you’ve had a bullet removed from you after all!”

Raven’s stomach was twisting wickedly; not from the blood but from watching Murphy in so much pain. Vampires might heal quickly, but things still were painful for them. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears of sympathy as she watched, and she impetuously reached for his hand and entwined her fingers with his in a show of support.

“Now Raven my sweet you shall she what the teeth are for; it’s very slippery in there and the teeth grip!” He inserted the head into the bloody hole in Murphy’s belly as well as a finger to guide it, twisting a bit until he found the hold he needed.

Murphy groaned in misery and Raven watched his stomach tensing with pain. When Tango finally had the slug out of his gut he rolled over into the fetal position and moaned loudly.

“Murphy, I need to wipe away the blood. For heaven’s sake, stop this nonsense.”

The look that Murphy tossed his friend was anything but friendly. Tango only smiled at him and shook his head. “I can forget the other one if you like but you know as well as I do that if you had to take a commercial flight somewhere or go into a court house or anywhere with scanning equipment it will find that slug.”

Murphy rolled over and let Tango wipe away the blood from that incision and Raven looked at it in amazement because it was already healed. “Wow,” she said.

“Yes, amazing isn’t it? But sadly, the next one won’t be that easy because we don’t know where that little sucker is and I may get lucky, or I might have to dig even more. Sorry old chap. Why don’t you set up and take another drink?”

Easy? That was easy Raven wondered. My god, Tango had his fingers in Murphy’s belly, and he thought it was easy?

Murphy sat up shakily and watched as Raven refilled his glass. He couldn’t help but notice how unsteady her steps were as she walked back across the floor from the cabinet. It was only a few steps, but she was definitely wavering on her feet. “Raven, why don’t you sit down on the stool here, okay?”

Raven felt as if she was in a trance; she’d had way too much to drink and this whole evening had taken on a dream-like feel. It was killing her to watch someone go through this kind of thing; cutting into the body without benefit of anesthesia was a grueling experience and so much more horrible for Murphy. She couldn’t even imagine going through that herself and Tango said the second one would be worse.

“Murphy, I want you to – to drink some of my blood, so that the alcohol in my system helps to alleviate some of the pain you will experience.” There, she’d said it, that thought that had been bouncing around in her head for the past few minutes.

“What? NO!” Murphy exclaimed at her request. “No, just no Raven.” He jumped off the counter and walked to the windows, looking out at the beach.

Tango wasn’t really surprised by her suggestion. Humans have frail sensibilities and she was clearly very upset over Murphy’s pain. It hurt, no one could say that it didn’t but it did end quickly and what he had told Murphy was true – in this day of scanners and such you had a hard time explaining why there is a bullet lodged in your gut.

Raven stood biting her lower lip, not sure whether to approach Murphy to try to convince him. He was standing at the window; one hand resting on the glass and was lost in thought. She could see that he was breathing heavily as if he were trying to control his emotions.

Tango nodded towards Murphy and smiled at her, trying to help her indecision. He didn’t know what the right thing to do was but they needed to at least talk about it. He headed into the living room to give them some privacy; not that he couldn’t hear what they said, but it was the illusion that mattered.

She walked across the room and stood next to him, watching the panorama outside the window for a few minutes. The waves out in the ocean were rolling to shore in the moonlight and it was beautiful to watch. You couldn’t really see the beach from this vantage point because the house sat on a bit of a cliff. She could hear the sounds of the water rushing to shore though and it was almost hypnotic.

“I’m sorry if I over-stepped or insulted you Murphy. That wasn’t my intention.”

Murphy turned to look at her and she could see that he wasn’t angry, but she couldn’t tell what emotion he was feeling for sure. There was a kindness in his shuttered blue eyes and maybe a bit of surprise as well. 

As she looked at him, trying to read his face he hoped that she couldn’t tell how much he cared for her, how much he wanted to do just what she suggested and not because he wanted to feel the effects of the alcohol. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment as if to mask his feelings from her.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the question in hers as she wondered what he was thinking. How did he explain it to her? Without giving himself away that is. Perhaps it was better to let her think it angered him, but he knew that he couldn’t do that to her.

“Raven, I’m not angry or insulted at all. You offered me the gift of your blood and to a vampire that pretty much beats everything or anything else. But I really am a baby about pain, like Tango said and it will be okay. I’ll be okay.”

It was her turn to reach out to hold his face in her hands. She searched it with care, looking into his eyes for the truth. Tonight, had been an incredible night for them, both of themselves laying their souls bare in a way. He might be a baby about pain, but he feared it as well, and probably the fact that pain can lead to death. After her experience in Tokyo she should be terrified of what she proposed and yet somehow, she wasn’t.

She wondered what it was like to live for 400 years or even more, like Roan. Do the years weigh more heavily as they passed and leave you wondering where the end will happen, when it will happen? Did you grow more cautious with the centuries or throw caution to the wind? She decided that in Murphy’s case the answer was clear. He feared death, the end of his time on this earth.

“Please let me do this for you Murphy. It will help.”

“I – can’t Raven, I can’t.”

“Will you tell me why? Is it because of my inexperience?”

He smiled a sad smile that deepened the color of his eyes. “No.” He let out a huge sigh and thought for a moment, trying to figure out what to say, how to say it. “Raven, to share blood with a vampire is never casual; it usually is about one of two things. Either the arrangement is about business or money or it’s about…love.”

How many years had it been since he had taken someone’s blood in recognition and acknowledgement of love? He knew exactly how long it had been, 53 years. Is that what he was experiencing now? Did he love her?

Every woman who had ever meant anything to him had been human. He’d cared about others, like Simone but he had never loved her and she was still in the end of things first and foremost a freshie. Why did he let this happen, knowing that relationships between humans and vampires were difficult, dangerous and complicated and yet he still seemed to be drawn to their humanity? Can it ever work, really work? If Bellamy and Clarke were any example it could, but in the end, she was turned. Would Raven ever want that? Would he be able to do it even if she did?

“I – I understand the complication of it Murphy but please let me do this for you. You were protecting me earlier so let me help you now.”

“Let’s not forget the Ferrari,” he teased, swallowing down a lump and trying to ease the tension. He could have replaced the Ferrari, but he couldn’t replace Raven.

Her eyes sparked for a moment and he wondered it if was recognition of his feeble attempt at the joke or if it were anger. “Look, you can do this the easy way or so help me I will get a knife from that butcher block over there and slice my wrist open and see if you can resist it then!” she told him with a small stamp of her foot on the wooden floor. 

He was stunned, damn but she was surprising. And she had obviously been told the desert story by Clarke because that is what Clarke threatened when Bellamy refused her blood. 

At his inaction she turned and prepared to stomp into the kitchen, but he caught her arm and pulled her gently to him and held her tightly for a moment. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it.” He kissed the top of her head and felt her sob against his chest. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

She snuffled once and then raised her head. “Yes, I am. You won’t hurt me will you?”

“No sweetness, I won’t. There will be a sting at first when I bite, but it will go away quickly and you’ll feel pleasure, I promise you. Shall we sit on the couch so you can be comfortable?” he said nodding to the sofa that faced the windows.

At her nod he sat down and pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her left arm around his neck and leaned against him. He picked up her right arm and stared at the veins that stood out starkly against her pale skin. “You’re positive?” He knew that this was the most important bite he had ever made and he wanted it to go well.

“Yes,” she said and sighed, relaxing in his arms.

She felt him sniff along the inside of her arm and it sent a tingle up her spine. His breath felt cool against her flushed skin and when his tongue gently stroked against the delicate skin she jumped, not expecting that. Of course, she didn’t know exactly what she did expect other than the fact that Clarke said it was an incredible experience. 

When he finally found the spot he wanted he bit down gently and just barely pierced her skin. She drew in a sharp breath and he let her breathe for a moment as the first warm flow of blood hit his tongue.

She shivered as a cool feeling swept over her and then the heat started. His tongue gently swept back and forth over the vein as if coaxing the blood out and she heard him swallow and something that might have been a purr emanated from him. A tight knot began to form in the pit of her stomach and her pelvic muscles clenched tautly in response and then began a rhythmic beat as heat infused her body. She felt a flood of moisture dampen her panties and realized she was breathing more rapidly.

How could this be happening? How could something that is so non-sexual be so sensual? She focused on the pull of his mouth, the caressing movement of his tongue as her muscles clenched and throbbed and finally exploded, sending her over the edge as her body climaxed.

Murphy felt her surrender to the passion and when she came it sent a thrill through his body, the body that was now warm and tingling with her blood, with Raven’s blood. Her heartbeat dipped and he knew it was time to stop but the beauty of the moment was so perfect he hesitated for a moment. Connection, he hadn’t felt this for so long, too long. He tasted her love in her blood; she loved him but could either one of them live with a relationship between them?

He looked up and saw Tango standing in front of him and reluctantly pulled back, licking the small puncture marks to seal them closed before kissing them just to make sure. “She’s fainted,” he said, and Tango nodded.

What had just happened was one of the most intimate things he had ever heard; these two loved one another dearly and he was going to make sure that Murphy didn’t screw it up. The scent of her blood richly perfumed the air and with that was the fragrance of her love for him. Murphy knew her secret now, but did he understand what he knew? 

But for now, they needed to get her into a bed so she could rest. “Where is a bedroom? She can rest in there?” he asked while holding out his arms to take the precious bundle from Murphy.

Murphy adamantly shook his head no and Tango stepped back, acknowledging Murphy’s dominion over the beautiful woman in his arms. “There, that door leads to the basement where two more bedrooms are located; a bit more private.”

Tango moved ahead and opened the door, finding a light switch next to it. The light that came on glared brightly and Tango hurriedly turned it off; he and Murphy didn’t need it anyway.

“There, that door on the left Tango,” Murphy told him. When the door was open Murphy stepped in and carried Raven to a large bed and reached down with one hand to pull the covers back. He laid her down, debating for a moment whether to remove her clothes or not and decided not to because he didn’t want her to feel exposed in the morning. He drew the covers up over her because the room was very cool and walked away, stopping to turn the light on in the bathroom so there would be some light in the room if she needed it.

He had to admit that he was glad of the alcohol he had ingested in her blood when Tango started probing for the second bullet. He finally got it and then it was done and he watched as Tango packed up the instruments in preparation for leaving.

Neither man knew what to say about what had happened tonight. What Raven did was an amazingly unselfish act and it changed Murphy’s world forever he admitted. She loved him and if he were completely honest he would have to admit that he loved her too. 

Her experience with vamps hadn’t been good and yet she trusted him tonight because she hurt to see him hurting. Could this be a beginning for them?

Tango reached into the pocket of his jacket and handed Murphy two packs of blood. “I know you detest the bagged stuff but you need these so drink,” he told his friend. “Are you heading back to LA tonight or in the morning?”

“The morning, definitely. I want Raven to be able to rest. I think I’ll call Franklin and have some food delivered for her because she’s going to need to eat sooner or later.” He walked Tango to the front door and the two men stood looking at one another for a moment, both of them at a loss for words.

“Murphy…”

“Tango…”

They both spoke at once and Murphy nodded at his friend, waiting for him to speak. “Murphy, that girl is special – don’t screw this up.”

“I’m going to try hard not to Tango.” He looked down at his feet for a moment and added, “Thank you for the help this evening.”

“You’re welcome. Talk to you soon.”

Murphy watched as Tango pulled away from the beach house and he shut the door and set the alarm. He wondered whether or not Raven would like to spend the weekend here? Just relaxing away from the city and it would be a chance for them to get to know one another a bit better. _Just get to know each other Murphy, nothing else yet…_

Just in case he called Franklin and told him what they would need for the weekend and it occurred to him that Raven would need some clothes and toiletries. “Franklin, is Belinda available?”

When Belinda came to the phone Murphy explained what was needed. Belinda was sort of a ‘senior’ freshie; she would be graduating soon and start her internship at UCLA Med Center as a doctor specializing in Internal Medicine. She was also crazy about Ryan, Murphy’s head of security. 

“I’ll get her some clothes for a couple of days, casual stuff and head over to the drug store and grab shampoo and all that kind of stuff.”

“Sounds good. Have Ryan bring it all out as soon as you get it all. It’s a lovely night, you might enjoy coming along for the ride,” he said with a smile.

“I think I just might do that. See you in an hour or so!”

):(

Murphy crawled into the freezer around 1 am. He was tired but still restless. At least he had food here for Raven and clothes and other things she might need in order to be comfortable here. Belinda had been thorough in getting all the things that she thought a woman might need for a weekend visit; some things Murphy didn’t even have a clue as to what they were. He looked at a jar that said, ‘Exfoliating Hydro Mask’. What the hell was it? It had a picture of an avocado and some other fruit on the picture; did you eat it he wondered? It was all a mystery to him.

He finally managed to sleep when he heard her screaming around 3 am. He rushed into her room to find her sitting up in bed, shaking and crying.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight while running his fingers through her hair. “Shh Raven, I’m here. I’m here and you’re okay.”

“The beach, I was dreaming about the beach except that you weren’t alright,” she told him trembling, partially from the dream and partially because his skin was icy.

“No, I’m fine sweetness, I really am.” He laid her back down in the bed and pulled the covers up over her. “Try to go back to sleep, okay?”

“Murphy, please don’t leave me. Will you stay with me?”

Even though the room was mostly dark with the dim light from the bathroom being the only illumination in the room, but Murphy was still aware that he was naked. He started to tell her he was going to get some clothes on, and she asked him to stay again.

He lay down on the bed on top of the covers and she snuggled close to him, wrapping her arm around his waist. He held her close and soon heard the gentle sighs that told him she was sleeping soundly again. He stroked her hair, loving the silken feel of the tresses and finally could resist temptation no longer.

His lips found their way to hers and he lightly kissed her, just a gentle brush of his lips against hers. She sighed again.

He told himself that it was because of the kiss.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! I'm still heart-sick over the Bellamy's death and this last episode has totally twisted Clarke into someone not likeable at all. I can only hope that will change before the end of the series. We lost the heart of the show, I can't bear the thought of Clarke being hated at the end.
> 
> So, in today's chapter Murphy and Raven take some time to reflect on what happened between them. It's a lot for both of them to contemplate, a future that they were together. Will Raven run? Is Murphy about to make a huge mistake about Raven's dad? Hmm
> 
> Clarke and Bellamy spend a happy day at the town bazaar and it ends with a surprising twist! What is it about Clarke that is so different? 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and kudos and comments are always loved and appreciated.

Chapter 23

Murphy lay quietly in the bed as Raven slept. He felt exposed; not in the physically naked sense but in the emotionally naked way, and that was not an emotion he was comfortable with. He was angry with himself for giving in to the need to drink her blood.

He was still a vampire and vamps did drink blood, but it was the man who gave into need, not the vamp. Yes, he was thankful for that kick of alcohol when Tango started probing for that second slug in his gut but that wasn’t why he did it.

God, she was beautiful, an enigma, a mysterious wraith that had snuck into his heart and soul and he didn’t even know how it had happened. Her human vulnerability had beckoned to him and now he was firmly entrenched in a prison of his own making; loving Raven because it surely was a prison. 

Humans and vamps – it just didn’t work. It couldn’t work, the very core of a relationship is destroyed when the two became involved romantically. The frail human sensibilities of love and longevity were torn asunder by the being named vampire. No longer did the sun shine on their love; instead it was relegated to the dark underbelly of the night, to horrors the human couldn’t possibly imagine. How was love to survive in that tainted atmosphere?

And yet it had for Bellamy and Clarke, except that she’d been brought into the darkness now. Would it have survived if that hadn’t happened? Would she, in the end have been able to be the vampire’s mate and still walk a human path? Could any human do that? 

He knew when he met Sarah that if a vampire were to take a mate it should never be a human. Murphy loved being a vampire and he wouldn’t ever want to change that, to go back to the mortal coil as Bellamy would. His mate should be a vampire as well; he knew that and yet none of the vampire women had ever been able to wring the emotion of love from his sorry, lonely heart. Were two vamps even able to create and exist in such a love? Every long-lived vampire relationship that he knew had begun with one of them being human. Was that the key? But if so then you had to turn the human in the relationship and what if they didn’t want that? You have two souls with a wall between them that couldn’t be breached. Was it true that true love couldn’t exist without mortality, at least at the beginning?

It was rare for one vampire to trust another completely. He’d learned over time to trust Bellamy but in general? Well, he wouldn’t buy any tickets on that train. Sure, money brought loyalty, like his employees, most of them anyway. There were a few he knew he could trust, very few though.

What if that was only his perception? Humans trusted easily, much to their detriment in his opinion. Bellamy still trusted, at least more than he did. And look what it had brought him; a beautiful wife and a family and friends that he had always craved; people who cared about him and trusted him. 

Could Murphy do the same? Could he trust Raven with his heart? Could she be a part of his world and be accepting of it? He’d tasted her love in her blood. But what if it wasn’t really love? What if it was just the craziness of the evening; of moonlight and the attack? She felt overwhelmed by the events for sure and maybe what he tasted was just the human in her reaching out to help someone in pain; that human trait of helping others?

What if?

):(

A few hours later Murphy had managed to rest and was suddenly pulled back to consciousness by a strange sound. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was 6:03 am. He looked around the room, scanning the dark corners and recesses without seeing anything out of place. He had locked the safety door upstairs and all seemed secure.

He heard it again and looked down at Raven who was curled into a ball next to him, her back against his side. Her stomach was making strange gurgling sounds and Murphy sat up, watching her because he feared he knew what was coming.

Raven moaned softly and suddenly sat up on the edge of the bed. She bent over so that her head was between her knees and tried pulling in a couple of breaths, but the nausea was engulfing her. 

“Raven?” Murphy asked softly. “Are you alright?”

“No…the bathroom?”

“Over there, the door where the light is shining.”

She jumped up and made a dash for the bathroom and in the mere seconds that it took for Murphy to reach her she was already violently ill in the toilet. He stood and watched as she retched miserably, huge heaving tremors shaking her small body.

He looked down, suddenly aware that he was still naked and before she even realized he was gone he ran to his room and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and came back into the bathroom. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a small towel and washcloth and dampened them both with cool water, wringing them out well.

She flushed the toilet and moved to sit, leaning back against the cabinets. Her knees were bent, and she rested her head on her arms that were wrapped around her knees. She struggled to breathe normally and with the dizziness that was making her head swim.

“Here,” Murphy said, wrapping the cool towel around the back of her neck. “There, that should help a bit. Now, tilt your face up,” he coaxed and when she did, he wiped the washcloth over her face, brushing the damp tendrils of hair away from her face as he did so.

“Mm, that feels so good. Where’d you learn this? Can’t be a vampire thing.”

“Let’s just say that Simone provided me with a bit of experience in this area,” he told her with a small smile that she didn’t see. He remembered something else and told her, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

He went into his bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet to see if what he was looking for was still there. He grabbed a small package when he found it and hurried into the den and grabbed a small glass off the bar. In the bathroom he filled the glass part way with cool water and tore open the small package and watched as two round tablets hit the water with a plop and began to fizz.

“Here, when the bubbles stop drink it down. You’ll feel better; Simone swore by it.”

She took the glass from him and eyed it skeptically. A small shudder passed over her at the idea of drinking anything, but she decided she didn’t have anything to lose at this point and obediently drank it down when the fizzing stopped. She handed the empty glass back to Murphy with a grimace and leaned her head back against the cabinet and closed her eyes.

Murphy rinsed the glass out and sat down next to her on the floor. Her stomach was making loud, distressing sounds and he hoped that he’d done the right thing by giving her the alka seltzer. Soon the alarming sounds began to cease, and a bit of color came back to her face. She opened her eyes and glanced down at herself, still in the clothes from the previous evening with a sigh. 

He saw what she was looking at and spoke up, “I had Franklin and Belinda bring some food for you and clothes, toiletries, that kind of stuff out here for you.” He stood up and grabbed the bags that were by the bedroom door and sat them on the floor for her. “I thought since we were here maybe you’d like to stay the rest of the weekend, just rest up, away from the city. I have a pool out there and movies to watch and stuff, not a bad mini vacation.”

Raven looked in the bags, seeing tank tops and shorts, a couple of swimsuits even, but no night clothes. By Murphy’s direction she wondered? “I wouldn’t mind that actually. I would like to change though and then I’m going back to bed. Do you mind?”

“No, not at all. I’m sure you’ll feel better when you wake up.”

“I don’t see any night things in here. Do you maybe have a tee shirt or something comfortable to sleep in?”

“I think I can find that. Hang on,” he said coming to his feet with ease. In a few minutes he was back carrying a white tee shirt and handed it to her. She was standing in front of the counter, washing her face with something that Belinda had brought. He picked up the jar of Exfoliating Hydro Mask and asked, “Do you eat this or wear it?” His eyes were sparkling with laughter as they met hers in the mirror.

“I guess you’ll just have to guess,” she answered, smiling and showing off the most adorable dimples. “Thanks for the shirt.”

He nodded and left the room and then the bedroom and headed to his freezer, hoping to catch a bit more rest himself. He didn’t see the disappointed look on her face when she went back to bed. It felt lonely and cold, but she snuggled down into the covers and soon sleep took pity on her and she was wrapped tenderly in the arms of the sandman.

):(

Raven woke up a few minutes after eleven and stretched, feeling much better. She turned on the lamp by the bed and lay still for a few minutes, looking around the room with interest. It was large, as was the bed. There was a cabinet across from the bed which she figured probably held a tv, but maybe not. She’d look around later she decided but right now she wanted a shower.

She padded into the bathroom and found the shower gel and hair care items and carried them to the shower, sitting them all on a shelf. The shower had bi-level spray nozzles and the floor was almost soft feeling, sort of like some type of rubberized coating was on the tiles. It felt weird but it was also non-skid, and she had to wonder whose idea it was. 

The scent of vanilla and jasmine filled the air and she inhaled deeply, pulling the fragrance deep within her. It was invigorating and heady; a perfect combination. As she washed her fingers ran over the twin marks on her arm and as she did a jolt went through her and for a moment it was like Murphy was with her. She looked around and opened the shower door to peek out and see if he was there, but she was alone. It was a strange feeling; she didn’t understand it, but it was somehow comforting.

As she rinsed conditioner off her hair, she wondered about the strange connection she seemed to feel now with Murphy. Was this impossible, she and Murphy? Maybe she should ask if it was _possible_? 

What was she thinking of anyway? He’s a vampire and she was human. The two surely couldn’t make a good match. Except that it had worked for Clarke and Bellamy. She told herself that was completely different though; Bellamy had been in her life since she was four and she always knew that he was there, keeping her safe even if she didn’t see him. Murphy? Well, he’d been in her life a hell of a lot less time and, well, he had kept her safe, last night anyway.

_He was a vampire!_

How would she trust him? How could they build any type of meaningful life together? She wanted a family, someone to love and who would love her back. Could they love she wondered, really, deeply love? Bellamy loved Clarke, there was no questions about that because it was evident in everything he did. But vampires can’t have kids, Clarke had told her that. 

All her life she wanted love, she wanted parents who loved her, wanted her. She wanted to fit in, somewhere. She hated them, her parents and yet she loved them because in the end they were all she had. That blood connection meant something even if she hated it. To belong… She had reveled in being with Abby and Clarke because they loved one another. Sometimes she would pretend that Abby was her mom too, just so that she felt that someone in this world actually loved her.

He couldn’t give her that; she knew it. But she loved him. Her traitorous, misguided heart had fallen in love, for the very first time. 

Her instinct was to run, as quickly and as far away as she could.

):(

Murphy had crawled out of the freezer around ten, unable to rest any longer. It was Saturday and the markets were closed but he had other business to take care of. He showered and dressed before heading upstairs to have his breakfast. 

As he sipped a large glass of A- he opened the laptop and started doing some research on Michael Reyes. The more he explored the more he realized that Michael Reyes’ ego had let him make some very stupid moves financially and left himself very vulnerable.

Murphy was just the kind of man to take advantage of that. Michael would never be in a position to hurt anyone again. And before too long, after he had lost everything else, he’d lose his life. Maybe if her parents were no longer around Raven would be able to let the past go and move forward. 

With him, that was what was buried in his hopeful heart, but he didn’t dare acknowledge that. Yet…

):(

The morning passed slowly for Clarke; she was eager to get to the bazaar to explore. Bellamy had been coaching her all morning about what to expect and how to handle it all.

“Clarke, seeing Carl was one thing but this is going to be hundreds of humans surrounding you and it can be overwhelming. The sounds of heartbeats will fill your head and you have to learn to ignore them, just as you will the smell of blood from them all.”

“Am I ready for this Bellamy?” she asked, her confidence flagging for a moment.

He looked at her and smiled, taking her hand in his. “Yes baby, you are ready for it. But if it gets to be too much, I want you to just say so and we’ll walk away for a bit. We’re bringing plenty of blood with us, tucked away in a cooler and we’ll make time every now and then to get you a drink.”

“How do I not listen to all the heartbeats Bellamy?”

“You just concentrate on what you’re doing, okay? Like when you worked for Buzzwire and you were reporting a story. Sometimes other news reporters were doing the same thing and you just had to focus on what you were doing, saying didn’t you?” At her nod he continued, “That’s it, the same thing. If you are talking to someone, focus on their voice, if we’re just walking then focus on what you’re looking at. When it becomes too difficult to do that then it is time for you to feed Clarke. Baby, you really can do this!”

Yes, she could, and she knew it. “Okay Bellamy, let’s go!”

The five-mile drive to Pratt’s Junction was amazing she realized. She could scent so much – the trees, animals, cooking smells coming from the houses they passed; even the air seemed richer and more pungent. She felt alive and she wanted to laugh with the pleasure that the freedom brought.

Bellamy watched her out of the corner of his eye as he drove to the village and just seeing her happiness made him smile. Her chin was slightly lifted as she scented the air, insisting that they travel with the windows open and no air conditioner going. The weather reports had been correct, it was very cloudy and misty at times and the temperatures weren’t expected to get out of the low ‘70’s – all in all it would be a great day to take Clarke out.

The main street of Pratt’s Junction was closed off so that vendors could set their tables up; they were selling everything from homemade quilts and earrings to every type of local food item. Some vendors specialized in Native American items, carved wooden animal totems and beaded items, paintings, leather goods, you name it, and you could find it here.

They parked on a side street not too far away and walked along with others who were letting their noses lead them to the party. Bellamy and Clarke’s fingers were entwined as they made their way, greeting other people with a friendly wave.

“Do you know all these people?” she asked as Bellamy said hello to someone else, she didn’t know.

“Not all of them, not most of them actually. It’s sort of a small-town mentality Clarke, they’re just friendlier here, or maybe just more openly friendly. Just go with it baby.”

So, she did, she smiled, waved, greeted and occasionally hugged someone when she saw someone she recognized from their honeymoon time here. As they stepped into the vendor area her eyes lit up at the wide variety of things to purchase and she immediately started picking out things to take home for family and friends. “You did bring cash, didn’t you?” she asked.

“Yep, I’ve got money honey,” he laughed.

“Wonderful,” she said as she walked to a booth where they were selling handmade shawls. They were exquisite, delicately woven and perfect for evenings back in LA that were cool but not cold. She picked out several of them and while Bellamy paid and gathered up the bags she moved on to the next booth. 

She didn’t seem to be bothered by people or sounds. The goods for sale were making a big impression on her he noticed though. He knew there was an ATM machine close by and that might be a very good thing he thought as she was picking out jewelry for Harper and Raven. After those purchases were made Bellamy whispered into her ear, “How are you doing baby?”

“What? I’m fine.” She paused for a moment and realized that she was. She could hear their heartbeats, but they were in the distance and while it seemed as if it should be impossible, she could smell their blood too. If they weren’t bleeding, she wasn’t sure how that could be but it was. What bothered her more than anything else was the smell of food; it was driving her crazy. Her mouth watered as she picked up spicy scents of cooked meats and sweet smells of funnel cakes and cotton candy. She stopped and looked at a small stand selling Indian Taco’s, pieces of fry bread topped with spicy meat, lettuce, cheese and salsa. 

Oh, how she wanted one and instead moved past with a lingering backwards glance. They spotted Mary and Millie at the booth for the reservation selling all the delicious apple products that they’d made. Clarke hadn’t seen Millie since the day in Mary’s kitchen and she saw the woman assessing her as she and Bellamy walked up to chat.

She knew she must seem crazy to Millie; a vampire that claimed to be able to taste must seem completely off the wall to her and not only did Clarke do that she actually distinguished between the different things she tasted that day. Still, Millie was friendly as they stood talking. There were no customers now, but Mary still used vamp tone when she asked how Clarke was feeling.

“Great,” Clarke said, smiling happily. “I – I really thought it would be hard, but so far not at all. I’ve been more interested in the items for sale than anything else.”

“I can attest to that,” Bellamy interjected, holding up his arms that were covered with bags. “I think it’s about time to make a trip back to the car and drop these bags off; you’ll fill them again, I know,” he teased.

“Maybe,” she agreed. She looked around at all the people, walking, eating and laughing. Her eyes lit up brightly and she told them, “I feel so incredibly wonderful, just to be here.”

Mary caught Bellamy’s eye and he smiled at her over Clarke’s head. He too was relaxed so things must be going really well. She was so happy for her young friends; it was high time Bellamy got her out of that house.

“Come on baby, let’s get this stuff back to the car, okay?” Clarke nodded and followed him telling Mary and Millie that they would see them later.

At the car Bellamy tucked away the bags and they sat down for a few minutes so Clarke could drink some O neg, not that she was hungry. Not for that anyway.

“Bellamy, I’m really not hungry!”

“Please Clarke, just a little, okay? For me?” he asked, wickedly playing on her feelings for him.

She sighed and did as he asked; she didn’t want him to worry about her. When she was done, they headed back to the bazaar and Clarke was delighted to see that everything was lit up with brightly colored fairy lights. The sun was beginning its dip into the Pacific and there were more people out now than there had been. The band was tuning up at the bandstand in the center of town. Occasional riffs and chords could be heard filtering through the sounds of the crowds. Bellamy and Clarke wandered down to watch and when the music started, they began to dance, dipping and swaying to the music with the other couples who had gathered under the starry night. 

The band played a bit of everything from oldies to modern music and as Bellamy and Clarke danced to _Hold Me, Thrill Me_ she sighed in happiness, loving the day, the fun of it and the fact that she shared it with Bellamy.

“Happy?” he asked, seeing her smile.

“Completely. Bellamy, this has been a wonderful day, thank you,” she whispered into his ear and nipped it lightly and felt him chuckle. 

“Was that an invitation Mrs. Blake?”

“It just might be Mr. Blake. Shall we go home and see?”

He held her hand and they walked down the street, waving goodbye to friends, new and old. As they got near the food vendors her nose led her back to the booth selling the Indian Tacos. She stood watching, chewing lightly on her lower lip in indecision.

“I know you think I’m crazy, but I’ve got to see if I can taste that Bellamy.” 

One look at his face told her he was going to protest but he closed his mouth as he looked at her. He remembered Murphy’s words about not fighting her on it and said, “Okay, you’ll never know if you don’t try. Baby, you’re probably going to throw it up so don’t take a bite until we’re away from the crowd, okay?” At her nod he purchased one for her and she held it like a small child coveting a contraband cookie. 

The fragrance wafted up to her nose and she inhaled deeply, amazed at the way the spiced tingled her nose and she knew that it was really spicy. When they got to the car she sat down and took a big bite of the Indian Taco. “Oh my god, this is fantastic Bellamy. You really can’t taste this stuff? It’s so hot and spicy!”

“Well, if I could taste something it definitely wouldn’t be that,” he told her, trying to hide his grimace as he watched her eat it. She was going to be sick soon and he hated to see that.

Except that she wasn’t…


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! Just a reminder that AO- blood is mentioned in this chapter. If you read Her Shadow Man then you know that it is a fictional blood type, not at all real. But it will serve a purpose in this story as well as the next one. 
> 
> Here we go, things are starting to heat up for Raven and Murphy and poor Bellamy is more confused by Clarke than ever. Murphy and Raven enjoy their time at Murphy's beach house, and both begin to wonder at the possibilities of a relationship between them. Bellamy realizes that though he doesn't understand what is different about Clarke's vampirism, it IS different. He knows it's time to get her home but first he's got to let her learn to feed fresh and he isn't looking forward to that at all.
> 
> Thanks for the love, comments and kudos! They mean so much and inspire me as I read them.

Chapter 24

Raven came up the stairs in a pair of white shorts and a turquoise tank top. She was wearing a slightly unsure smile on her face as she looked around and spotted Murphy sitting at the bar counter.

“Well, it seems you’re feeling better,” Murphy stated. She was a bit pale but otherwise she looked okay.

Raven walked into the kitchen and sat down on a bar stool across from Murphy. “Yes, much better thank you. That’s so unlike me but, um, well at least I’m feeling better now.”

Murphy watched a slow flush spread over her face as she spoke, driven no doubt by thoughts of what had transpired last night. Was it the scotch or afterwards? Murphy was curious but said nothing of course, a gentleman wouldn’t, and he could be a gentleman at times. “If you’re hungry the fridge has food in it so help yourself.”

“Ooh, I am actually.” She slid off the stool and headed over to the large stainless-steel appliance and opened it up, staring at the contents. She laughed as she pulled juice out of it and sat it on the counter and then spotted some bagels. Inside the fridge she saw a jar of peanut butter and grabbed it with a grin. “For me?” she asked, surprised that he had remembered. He nodded and she continued, “I’m sort of surprised actually – after earlier this morning I never thought I’d be hungry again!”

She carried her breakfast items to the counter and then went in search of a plate and a glass for the juice. Murphy watched her move easily around the kitchen and admired her graceful movements as she stood on tip toes hunting for what she needed. He could have told her that the glasses were in the cabinet next to the sink, but he was enjoying the view of long and limber legs and a firm and curvaceous bottom as they stretched to full length as she searched. He sat back with a grin and had to quickly wipe it off his face as she turned around and walked back to the counter with her glass.

She opened the bottle of pineapple and orange juice, peeling the seal away and pouring a glass full and taking a long drink. She sliced the bagel in half and spread peanut butter over it liberally, licking a bit of peanut butter off her finger when she smeared her finger instead of the bagel.

“There are a couple of bananas’ over on that counter for you too,” he told her. 

She looked over at the counter where he indicated and spotted a bowl of fruit – banana’s, an apple, some grapes too. She grabbed a banana and with a cheeky grin peeled it and sliced half of it onto the peanut butter bagel. “Mm, this hits the spot,” she told him as she licked a small dab of the gooey brown treat away from the corner of her mouth with her tongue. “Thanks for remembering.”

He shrugged with a smile as she continued to eat her breakfast. It smelled interesting and there were rare times when he wished he knew what something tasted like and this was definitely one of them. Peanut butter was not visually appealing but did smell good he had to admit. “Oh, I went to the car and got your purse; you left it in there last night and I thought you might like to have it.”

“Yes, thank you. My phone is in there, although it probably won’t matter because the battery will most likely need to be charged soon and my charger isn’t with me. I wonder if Clarke tried to call, I haven’t heard from her for a couple of days. Have you?”

“No, not since I talked to Bellamy a few days ago. He is worried about Clarke though; I know that much. She thinks she can taste food and it seems she is able to use her allure very well; had him jumping through hoops for her and neither one of them realized it. Still, I think it’s about time for her to be coming home soon. Bellamy may need a nudge to let her train to drink fresh though.”

Raven’s heart soared at the thought of Clarke coming home soon, there was so much that she wanted to talk to her friend about and so much she needed to learn about her new life. Clarke really was a vampire now; would she do to people what Murphy had done to her last night? The memory almost choked her for a moment as a deep blush swept up her neck and face. She had never for a moment imagined it would feel like that; she wondered if it always did. The thought of her friend biting someone and making them feel like that was confusing for Raven. It was so personal, private; how could Bellamy let her do that to someone? She wanted to ask Murphy that, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice the question.

Murphy watched as Raven lightly chewed her lower lip and scented her embarrassment and confusion. No doubt it was about last night but he didn’t know what to say about it; he wanted it to be something special between them and she probably thought he had just taken advantage of her inebriated state. In her mind vampires were predators and how could he tell her that last night had meant something special to him when the fact was that vampires _were_ predators? He was a predator because if it came to being the hunter or the hunted he was going to win the game. He decided to change the subject, sort of anyway.

“Wells came to see me the other day. He knows about vampires Raven.”

“What? How? I’ve never told anyone Murphy, I swear it,” she told him in a panic, concerned that he thought she had told Wells.

“No, no, I know that you didn’t. He figured it out, well with a bit of help from Finn Collins anyway.”

“Finn? I’m confused.”

“Clarke had written in her diary that Bellamy was a vampire and Finn read it and told Wells. Wells apparently didn’t believe it at the time but as he watched Bellamy over the next few months, he began to figure it out.”

Raven was livid over Finn’s betrayal of Clarke’s privacy. How could the bastard do that? Reading someone’s diary was so personal and that really said a lot about the kind of person he was. A sudden thought occurred to her, “Oh god, does Wells know about Cami?”

“Yes, he does although he hasn’t shared that with her. He seems to care about her a great deal.”

Raven nodded and said, “I think he does. Wells is a pretty faithful and loyal kind of guy Murphy. It might not hurt to have a cop on your side.” 

“You are absolutely right. I hope that it will all work out okay.” She was quiet for a moment and then said, “I just can’t believe Finn would read her diary. It’s so private. She loved him, trusted him.” It was so hard to trust people but when your trust is betrayed by the people you love it makes it harder to trust again. She didn’t give many people her trust, not on a personal level; she’d learned long ago that it usually caused pain. Very few people had shown her that they deserved her trust and she knew that she would do anything to protect them.

“So,” she said, looking around, “You said you have a pool? Mind if I use it today? Your friend was kind enough to include some sunscreen with the bathing suits.”

“Yes, I do, it’s just around the corner there and it’s fine. I hope you’ll enjoy it. There is a whole patio room attached to it so I can sit in the shade and read or something while you swim.”

“You don’t have to babysit me Murphy, I won’t drown I promise. Actually, I might not even swim. I’m going to lie in the sun for a while and just relax.” She carried her dishes to the sink and rinsed them off and looked in the dishwasher. There were two glasses in it already and she said, “Do you have someone who comes in and runs this?” She was positive that he didn’t do it.

“Yes, I have a housekeeper who comes in 3 times a week and she’ll take care of it so just put your dishes in there.”

After she put the peanut butter, bagels and juice away she said, “I think I’ll go and change now.”

“Wait, I want to show you something.” He walked to the basement door and stepped through with her and turned the light on and then held the door open as they stood on the landing. “This is a safety door Raven; it is made of titanium with heavy dead bolt locks on it.” He pointed to the thickness of the door and the thick dead bolts that sprung out on the side when he pushed the button. “This part of the house is a safe room, totally self-contained with its own water system, phone, ventilation and electrical system, all hidden. When the door is closed, nothing, except maybe a direct cannon blast is going to get through it.” He closed the door and pushed a button on the keypad next to the door and she heard the heavy locks click into place.

“Oh my gosh, that’s incredible. And there is a camera too, just like Bellamy’s.”

“Yes, and you can change it to look at different camera’s around the property, or by pressing this button you can see all six views at once. If anything were to ever happen to me Raven, get down here and close this door, do you understand?”

“I – well, I don’t understand why that would happen but okay.”

He punched in a series of numbers and said, “Can you remember those? It’s the way to unlock the door.” She nodded and he continued, “Good. Don’t forget them. I’ll show you were to access the other things you might need.”

He took her into a room off the den that was like a command center you would see in a movie complete with a huge computer set up, video screens, and phone. In the den itself there were cabinets with water and other supplies, but she noted that there was little food and what was there was the freeze dried variety like the military used. She laughed at that but hopefully she wouldn’t ever have to see what it tasted like. She picked up a package that said, ‘Freeze Dried Ice Cream, chocolate flavor’ and laughed. “Dried ice cream, really?” She couldn’t stop the wry laugh that escaped.

Murphy took the package and tore it open and dropped some of the small pieces into her hand. She popped them into her mouth and chewed them slowly. They weren’t anything like ice cream of course, but they actually weren’t half bad. “Wow, color me surprised!”

He only grinned at her surprise and handed her the packet so she could finish it. She looked around the room at the comfortable seating and a very large home theater system that covered almost one whole wall. Along with that were at least a thousand movies and she walked along them, reading the titles as she munched the freeze-dried ice cream. She came to a whole section of Colin Firth movies and quirked an eyebrow upwards inquiringly.

“He’s a good actor, I like his movies,” Murphy defended. 

“So, you’re a Pride and Prejudice kind of guy, huh?” she teased.

“Hey, I lived during those times; it’s refreshing to see them portrayed so historically accurately. And Colin is a nice guy!”

“You KNOW Colin Firth?” Her eyes were round with surprise and envy. “Oh god, he’s not a…a…”

“Vampire? Can’t tell, can you?”

“Don’t you dare tease me about this Murphy!” she told him.

“Okay, he’s not. But I don’t hold it against him.”

Raven rolled her eyes and scoffed at his remark. “I’m going to change now if we are done with Survival Training 101 that is?”

“Sure, go ahead.” He watched her head into her bedroom with a chuckle. He loved teasing her.”

):(

As they had driven home from town the night before Bellamy had watched Clarke carefully, but she showed no signs at all being sick to her stomach. She had enjoyed the ride home, windows down and again constantly scenting the air. 

Bellamy had been prepared to deal with disastrous effects of that taco but there were none. This morning the remains had passed in the usual human way and Bellamy didn’t know what to think about that or what on earth was going on.

Clarke apparently had some super abilities as a vampire; the allure, precognition, her perceptive abilities alone were twice as strong as his were but all of that he could understand. Being able to taste food, to ingest it was definitely beyond his ability to understand. 

He needed to talk to Murphy and reached for his phone. Clarke was on the tread climber machine with headphones on watching Dr. Phil again and so he decided that now was the time. He waited impatiently for Murphy to answer.

“Murphy, I have to talk to you about Clarke!”

“What has your fledgling done now Bellamy?” he said in his best long-suffering tone. He was sitting in a chaise lounge watching Raven lay in the sun; she was face down on the chair, her top untied. Murphy suffered a good deal of angst watching, wanting to see what was hidden from his eyes. He forced himself to look away so that he could concentrate on what Bellamy was saying.

“Last night she ate a taco and didn’t throw it up, that’s what she’s done!”

Everything else that Clarke had managed to do as a fledgling had mildly surprised him but this one floored him. It wasn’t possible, it just wasn’t possible – not if she were a vampire and he knew that she was. So where did that leave all this?

“Bellamy, I think you need to get her back here as soon as possible. Have you taught her to feed fresh yet? She needs to do that so that we can make sure she really is ready. And by the way, exactly _where_ did she get that taco?” 

Bellamy ran his fingers through the disheveled locks on his head, only managing to make them more tangled. “We went to a street fair last night, a town bazaar. She did great around all the humans Murphy, no problem at all but she kept smelling the tacos and wanted one and I thought, well, when she eats it, she’ll get sick and she won’t do that again.”

“But it didn’t work out that way did it,” Murphy asked, opening one eye to peek at Raven as she turned over, clutching the bikini top to her chest with one hand. A soft bit of untanned skin could be seen before the top settled back into place and Murphy sat up a bit straighter as he watched. God, he could even see beads of sweat on her skin, circling her navel and leaving a small trail as his eyes swept lower, to the lush expanse of tanned skin above the bottom of her bikini. He wasn’t sure what he appreciated more, the gentle swell of her bottom as she lay on her stomach or the taut skin of her stomach.

“Murphy...” Bellamy repeated.

“What? I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I said do you really think it’s necessary for her to learn to feed fresh?”

“Yes Bellamy, she needs that skill. I know she feeds from you just fine but if she ever had to feed fresh you don’t want her ripping someone apart because she doesn’t know how.”

Bellamy nodded, agreeing even though he hated the thought of his Clarke feeding from someone else. He and Tim had talked about it and Tim had given him the names of a couple of people who were good when working with new vampires. “I have the names of a couple who specialize in new turns, I’ll give them a call,” he finally told Murphy.

“Yes, you do that. Why don’t I plan on coming up in two days? Will that give you enough time?” He knew it was better to give Bellamy a definite deadline so that he’d move forward. “I’ll bring Raven with me if she wants to come and I suspect she will. We were just talking about you two at breakfast this morning.”

“At _breakfast_? What the hell is going on down there Murphy?” Clarke wasn’t going to be happy about this. “Raven is petrified of vampires; you know that Murphy. Do not hurt her!” Bellamy said letting a bit of a growl creep into his voice.

Murphy’s eyebrows raised a notch as he heard the growl and he smiled; still, he had to take a disapproving approach with Bellamy as the elder vampire. “She is fine; it is our business so keep the growls to yourself!” He couldn’t resist teasing Bellamy a bit, knowing where his imagination would take him.

Bellamy didn’t back down; he felt honor bound to stand up for Raven. “I meant what I said Murphy,” he told him, dead serious.

Murphy watched as Raven came gracefully to her feet, reaching behind her to tie the skimpy top and then she waded into the pool. Her lithe limbs propelled her through the still water causing small ripples on the surface. Maybe a swim wouldn’t be bad he decided. This end of the pool was in shadow now. He finally remembered that Bellamy was on the other end of the phone. “Yes, I know. I gotta go boyo.”

Bellamy heard the line go silent and realized Murphy had hung up. What the hell was going on there anyway? It was definitely time to go home. He decided to keep this last bit of information to himself because if Clarke found out she would certainly stake Murphy. Of course, he’d help his friend by being sure to get that stake out, eventually anyway. Maybe…

):(

Murphy did join Raven in the pool, and they swam and chatted for awhile, both of them enjoying the quiet evening. At seven they went in to find something to eat; well, it wasn’t a hard decision for Murphy, but Raven struggled between chicken salad and some lasagna. The chicken salad won out and she sat it and a croissant on the glassed-topped patio table along with the bowl of fruit and a diet coke.

“Um, a feast,” she declared as she sliced the croissant in half and piled on the chicken salad which had walnuts, cranberries and celery in it. “This is wonderful,” she told him after her first bite. She wiped her lips with a napkin and Murphy watched, wistfully wishing that it was her tongue.

He had to change the subject quickly or he was going to be in trouble. “How would you like to go with me to Seattle on Monday to pick up Bellamy and Clarke?”

She laid her sandwich down and let out a squeal of happiness! “Yes! Oh, but we have to work on the set-up Monday,” she said as she remembered that they were just beginning the training phase. She needed to get security set up for people in the system.

“Hey, I’m the boss and I’m declaring that we’re not working Monday, okay?”

“Well, if you put it that way,” she said with a grin. She sighed as she looked out at the Pacific; it was so calm today it definitely lived up to its name. Hardly any foam on the waves could be seen which was unusual; it wasn’t exactly mirror smooth but close to it.

Murphy’s eyes were drawn to the two barely visible marks on her arm; they were healing quickly which was good. He had been surprised last night when he tasted her blood; she was AO-, just like Clarke. It was such a rare blood type, they fact that she and Clarke had grown up together and shared the same rare blood type was surprising – very surprising in fact.

She and Murphy talked about the plans for the training process a bit and about Audrey, who would be leading the security team. Raven was excited to work with her because that girl knew her way around the operating set up and system administration. Things were going to go well. 

An hour later Raven stood up, watching as the sun was beginning to make its final descent into the ocean and said, “I guess I’m going to go and shower. Shall we watch a movie? I’ll even let you pick it, as long as it’s a Colin Firth flick,” she laughed.

“Sure, a movie sounds good. But I want to show you something first. He stood up and held his hand out to her. He watched indecision flicker briefly over her face before she reached for his hand and stood up to follow him.

He led her on a short path to the edge of the cliff that the house was perched on. She looked down and saw the waves crashing against the rocks about 20 feet below. There was sort of a natural little cove below them with the arms of the rocks almost keeping it hidden.

“Sometimes when I come here I like to jump down into the water; it’s very exhilarating actually,” he told her as he watched her eyebrows rise in uncertainty.

“My goodness, that’s quite a leap – maybe not for a vampire though.”

“It’s actually only about 19 feet and the water is plenty deep. The idea is to time it right and its fine.”

“Hm, I guess when the water is rolling in?”

“No, actually you want to catch it just after it hits the rocks. Then count one, two and jump. If you jump when it’s on the way in the force of the water will carry you into the rocks. That’s not so good,” he said with a grin.

“So after it hits it pulls you away from them?” When he nodded she said, “That makes sense. Still it seems like a pretty far jump to me.”

“It’s not. Jump with me Raven?”

“What? Oh no, I couldn’t!”

“Sure you can. Count with me to learn the timing.” She listened and watched the waves. “One, two, now; one, two, now. See, it’s easy.” He held his hand out to her and she could only stare at it.

The thought of taking that leap was petrifying to her. She looked at him, his clear blue eyes just catching the remaining glow of sunlight. “Trust me,” he whispered.

A breath caught in her throat and she glanced down again at the rushing water far below. Trust him? Let him in? Her heart sped up rapidly for a moment as she considered what he asked. Could he be one of the ones that she trusted?

Murphy heard her heart beating frantically and waited patiently. This was a leap of faith for her, for both of them. He wanted to do this more than he had ever wanted anything. Again, he said, “Trust me. I won’t let you get hurt.”

She nodded and held her hand out, wiping a tear away from her cheek with the other.

“Okay, count it with me. One, two, NOW!” and they were over the edge, falling through the air until they hit the water. Down they went until their feet touched the bottom, then they pushed towards the surface. When they broke through Raven laughed out loud and Murphy joined her.

“Oh wow, I did it! I actually did it!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. He tread water as he held her close and she wrapped her legs around his waist and smiled into his eyes. “Thank you.” She leaned forward and kissed him; her lush lips pressed against his for the briefest moment before she pulled back as a wave almost pushed them into the rocks.

Murphy was amazed, it had happened so easily, so simply and it gave him hope that maybe they had a future. She was still scared and so was he, but he felt happier than he had felt in years. Hopeful, he actually felt hopeful.

“Come on, we have to swim around those rocks. Just hang onto me okay?”

She nodded as they headed around the rocks and walked up onto the small sandy beach. She saw steps leading back up the cliff and laughed as he picked her up and jumped to the top in a single leap. Now she knew what Clarke had meant by the sexy vampire jumping thing. It was impressive. 

Together they walked back to the house and each showered and met back in the den for the movie. Murphy picked out a Colin Firth movie she’d never seen before called _The Secret Laughter of Women_. It was a wonderfully romantic movie and Raven enjoyed it as she sat munching popcorn and sipping a diet coke. They sat next to each other on the plush leather sofa, touching but not too much. Both of them remembered the kiss as they said goodnight at their individual doors. Raven wanted to repeat it, but she was scared that he didn’t want that.

Murphy’s thoughts mirrored Raven’s. Maybe the kiss had been momentary excitement and didn’t mean anything. Maybe it did mean something; he’d never know if he didn’t kiss her now. He knew that they needed to go slow, which was almost a foreign concept to him; he who usually just grabbed what he wanted with little thought. But this would mean something to him and hopefully Raven too.

He took the ten steps to stand in front of her and leaned down, cupping her face in his hands and lightly brushing his lips against hers. Her lips yielded to his and he heard a faint sigh low in her throat. Soft, gently caressing and both satisfying and yet not nearly satisfying enough, the kiss spoke volumes for both of them. 

He stepped away and then brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. “Good night Raven.”

“’Night Murphy,” she said as she stepped into her room and closed the door. She wanted to laugh out loud at how ridiculously good that kiss was; it was exactly what a first kiss should be, even if it technically wasn’t the first one but she didn’t really count the kiss in the water since it had been more of a reactionary kiss.

THAT was a kiss though, what they’d just shared. She hugged herself, grinning like an idiot. She felt like she was a teenager and she resisted the urge to run and jump onto the bed. 

_Oh, what the hell!_ She landed smack in the middle of the bed with a smile.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! We're almost to the end of this story. Next Friday we finish it out. If you want to read the next story in the series please let me know! It picks up immediately as then one finishes and when you read the last chapter you will understand why. Thanks and love to all of you who have given me feedback and kudos, it makes me so happy to know that people ae enjoying the story.
> 
> In this chapter, Wells finally has a talk with Cami about her secret. Ben finds a way to possibly get some information about Bellamy that could change everything and open a whole new set of issues. Clarke learns to feed fresh, despite how ready Bellamy thinks she is, is he?

Chapter 25

Wells stood in front of Cami’s door, hesitating for a moment before he knocked. If what he had heard in Seattle was true, she probably already knew that he was there but he just wasn’t sure what to say to her. Frankly confronting Murphy and then Clarke and Bellamy had been easier. 

What if she was mad because he knew and hadn’t said anything? What if she felt that he had been using her for information or that he was playing out some fantasy? None of that was true but he could see how she might be upset with him, if not full out angry.

He was crazy about her; hell he was half way to loving her. She was beautiful for sure, but she was so much more than that – she was intelligent and funny and shy and she just ‘got’ him, the same way he ‘got’ her. 

He wiped his hands down his jeans because his palms were sweaty as hell and then he made sure his royal blue polo shirt was tucked in neatly. It was now or never and he raised his hand to knock on the door.

Inside, Cami was well aware that Wells was outside her door. She scented him, the clean masculine and woodsy smell of his soap and she heard his heartbeat which was beating strangely fast. _Oh god, was he going to break up with her?_

No, no, no please she thought. She hadn’t ever felt like this before, certainly not with Edmund. She didn’t want to lose Wells, couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. She knew that she had to be honest with him, but she’d never told a human that she was a vampire before and she feared that if she waited any longer she would lose him for sure but what a shock for him. 

Tonight, they planned to just stay in and watch a movie and she thought that this was the right time but what if he wanted to break up with her before she could even be honest with him? This is why secrets are so bad, but as a vampire she had no choice.

Finally, she heard the knock and she immediately brushed her hair back from her face and looked down at her sun dress, hoping that she looked okay. She opened the door to face him and he immediately pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

“Hi,” she said, returning the hug.

“Hi yourself,” he whispered into her ear and pulled back a bit so he could see her face. He detected worry on her beautiful face, and he leaned down and kissed her softly, savoring the sweet taste of her lips against his own. She opened her mouth and he accepted the invitation, seeking her tongue with his and stroking lovingly over it until he felt her relax in his arms.

“God I’ve missed you Cami. You look beautiful tonight; I should be taking you out instead of keeping you all to myself here. But I’m not going to – tonight you are all mine!”

She looked down, embarrassed to meet his eyes and he knew that if she were able, she would be blushing. Instead she cleared her throat and said, “Come on in. I bought some beer; would you like one?”

“Sure,” he said following her into the kitchen. He tried to look away when she opened the refrigerator because he knew it would be empty of food but still, he couldn’t resist a quick peek inside. Other than the beer and some wine the only other thing in there seemed to be some cheese. Must be for human guests like Raven he thought.

She pulled two beers out and opened a drawer to find the bottle opener and popped them both open. “Here you go,” she told him as she handed one to him. They clinked their bottles together and each took a sip of the icy cold brew. “Shall we go and sit down?”

They got comfortable on her couch and she rested her bare feet on the glass topped coffee table in front of them. Her apartment was an anomaly, or maybe the word was eclectic, a curious mixture of styles and era’s and somehow it all fit together perfectly. 

Wells took another sip and then a deep breath, he had to just spit it out and hope for the best. “Cami, I’m crazy about you, I hope you know that.”

“But, there’s a ‘but’ in there Wells.”

“No, not a ‘but’, more like an ‘I have a confession to make’.”

Her eyes opened wide, wondering what on earth this could be. “Well, okay, what is it?”

He took another deep breath and let it out slowly. “Cami, I know that you are a vampire; I know that they exist. Murphy, Bellamy, Clarke now, others; I know about them.”

She jumped up off the sofa and hugged herself. She had not been prepared for the fact that he might know her terrible secret. Tears started running down her face and she was totally unaware of them until she felt them drop onto her chest. She hastily wiped them away, turning away from him in shame.

Wells stood up and set his beer down on the table and went to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her in his arms. She was facing away from him and he could feel her body trying to hold back her anguished sobs. “Shh Cami, it’s alright. I don’t care baby, I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me.”

She turned in his arms and pushed against his chest and stumbled backwards. “How can you say that Wells? You don’t know, you really just don’t know what it’s like. You’ll hate me when you know.”

“No, I won’t. I know Cami, I understand. I just got back from Seattle this morning; I talked to Clarke and Bellamy and let me tell you, she was pretty open about things.”

“You saw Clarke? Oh my god, you could have been killed Wells!”

“Yeah, they told me that; I mean it, I do understand Cami.”

“How can you care about me, knowing?”

“How did Clarke care about Bellamy?” He smiled at her and pulled her over to the couch, sitting down with her on his lap. “I do care Cami, very, very much.” He watched her relax and when her arms crept around his neck, he knew that it was going to be okay.

“I’m so sorry for not telling you on my own Wells. I – I just didn’t know how.”

“Yeah, I get that baby. It’s okay, I mean it Cami.” He took a chance and kissed her and felt her melt into him. He deepened the kiss searching her mouth and drinking in the sweetness that was Cami. He kissed her until they were both breathless and trembling. A low moan escaped from him and he heard her answering moan that sounded suspiciously more like a purr. “Um, Cami we need to stop baby, I’m losing control.”

“Are you afraid of making love with me Wells?”

“No, I know what will happen Cami. I told you, Clarke was very explicit.” He grinned at her. “She also said I’d like it.” He gave her a cocky grin and traced a finger down her nose and over her lips, caressing them lightly as he saw how swollen they were from the kisses.

“I’ve never, um, I’ve never done that Wells. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

He ran his fingers through her silken blonde tresses watching them cascade through his fingers like liquid honey. “We’ll wait until you’re ready, until you’re comfortable. I promise you, despite all the myths out there, we’ll both be okay.”

Somehow, they both managed to pull themselves together and watch a movie. Each had a new awareness of the other; each touch, regardless of how brief was like electricity flowing between them. By the time Wells left he sincerely hoped that they got it figured out quickly. He might not die, but he was in for some uncomfortable nights he knew.

But damn it was good to feel this way again!

):(

Bellamy arranged for a couple, Rich and Leah to come at 3 pm that afternoon for Clarke’s lesson in feeding fresh. He hadn’t told Clarke about it ahead of time because he wasn’t sure how she would react, whether she would be excited or nervous or both. He was sweating over it though and not because he was afraid she’d hurt them.

Rich and Leah specialized in working with fledgling vampires and both knew how to make it easier and more comfortable for themselves and the vamp, if the vamp were nervous.

No, Bellamy’s discomfort revolved around his own reaction to what was going to happen. Clarke embraced each new thing that she learned, and he knew she would do the same with this and most likely excel at it. She was good at the vein, as he well knew. 

How would he handle the reactions that her bite would surely cause? It would kill him, or at least it would feel like that. He had to keep control of himself and that might not be easy. He knew that Murphy was right, that she had to learn, but suddenly the shoe was on the other foot. He’d told Clarke that it wasn’t a personal thing for vampires, explained about the difference between ‘food’ and ‘love’ and she got the concept. That being said, he was going to watch his wife, his _mate_ feed off of someone else’s blood and even though it was only for nourishment whoever was feeding her would likely react to the bite. 

If that bastard got a hard on, he’d…what? What was he going to do? Nothing, not a damn thing. Suffer as he watched, that was what he was going to do. 

He looked up as Clarke came into the office to see what he was doing. She was fresh out of the shower and smelled wonderful; clean and with the tiniest bit of arousal as she eyed him sitting behind the desk. She looked at him, began to focus and he felt himself being pulled in and hastily looked away.

“Clarke, remember about the allure? Stay focused on _not_ using it, okay? Don’t concentrate quite so much.” He watched her face fall in disappointment, partially because she’d forgotten what she was trying to control and because she really was ready for a tumble in their bed. 

“Okay, I forgot. It’s so hard Bellamy, it just seems to come naturally to do it. I – I just get a thought in my head and I ‘see’ it and want it to happen. I’ll try harder, I promise,” she told him with a shrug and a smile.

“It’s okay Clarke. It’s just going to take time; honestly, I’ve never seen anyone have such a strong ability to use their allure as you do.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled at her. “Hey, I have a surprise for you this afternoon.”

She perked up, hoping that the surprise involved getting out of the house. He’d told her that there were some seriously big caves on the reservation and she wanted to go and explore them. “Yes?” she said, smiling at him hopefully.

Bellamy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hesitating a bit longer, but a glance at the clock told him that Rich and Leah would be here in a few minutes. “Clarke, I think you’re ready to learn how to feed fresh and in a few minutes a couple will be here to, well for you to learn with. They work with fledgling vamps and will help you.”

Her first instinct was to let out a whoop of happiness; she’d been waiting for this because she knew once she learned this she could go home and she really wanted to go back to LA. She missed her Mom and Raven and Harper and the city. It was beautiful here, breathtakingly beautiful but she longed for sunshine and smog, god help her. 

Bellamy could tell that she was trying to control her excitement and he had to smile; she embraced all this so easily, always willing to learn something new. How would it have been if he’d felt the same way? His world would have been completely different he knew and that probably meant that he wouldn’t have Clarke in his life now; most likely he and Echo would still be fighting their way around the world.

“It’s alright to be excited Clarke,” he told her and watched as her smile turned into a laugh.

“I am excited Bellamy! How will it be different from when I feed from you?”

“Well, the pull of the blood will be much stronger Clarke; the heartbeat can be almost hypnotic, the sound of the flow of the blood rushing through the veins is enthralling. You must be very aware of that so that you don’t lose control. Don’t bite too deep or you’ll make the vein roll and don’t draw too hard or you’ll collapse the vein. It’s something that you learn with practice, okay? Both Rich and Leah have experience so listen to them.”

“Are you going to be there too?” For a moment she felt panic overwhelm her.

“Yes, I’ll be there, I won’t let you hurt them okay? I know you are ready for this Clarke.” 

They both heard a car drive up and then two doors open and close. She looked up and watched him as he rose to his feet and she suddenly realized he was nervous. She quickly went to him and pulled him tightly to her. “I love you Bellamy Blake. It’s only food, okay?”

He nodded, bending to kiss her quickly as they heard the knock on the door. “Okay, let’s go.”

Rich and Leah Landwehr were waiting with smiles as the door was open. Both immediately held out their hands in greeting and thanked Bellamy as he led them into the house. They appeared to be in their early thirties, both were tall and healthy looking.

“You must be Clarke,” Leah said with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, everything is going to be just fine Clarke; Rich and I have done this before,” she said as she took in Clarke’s look of nervousness. “Where can we sit and chat a bit?”

Clarke led them into the living room, and they all took seats and settled in. Leah had a small bag with her and when she noticed Bellamy staring at it explained, “I’m a nurse, inside are just bandages and such, just in case we might need them.”

She had a very positive and cheerful attitude and Clarke relaxed and listened as Leah explained a few other things. Rich was mostly silent, agreeing occasionally with Leah or nodding.

“We’ve done this before, and I can assure you Bellamy that we are very professional at what we do. We understand that it can be a bit scary at first, but we hope to make it an easy and pleasant experience for Clarke and yourself. We ate earlier and are both well-hydrated so there are no worries there. We don’t take any supplements so there won’t be anything to cause a bad taste. You will feed a bit from each of us, to make sure you are comfortable with the bite. Clarke, I am A- and Rich is AB-, do you have a preference as to which one to try first?”

“I – I don’t have a preference actually.” She looked at both of them and said, “I guess I’ll try Rich first.” She knew that Bellamy was dreading seeing her with a male freshie, although she wasn’t sure that what Rich and Leah did was considered ‘freshie’ work. Better to get that out of the way and pray that there were no unwanted reactions from Rich because it would be hard for Bellamy to see; it would be very hard for her to see as well, or taste. 

She was so anxious to do this and yet she suddenly felt very shy and a bit scared. She looked up at Rich and then Leah with a nervous smile, hoping that she didn’t seem like a total idiot.

“Okay Clarke, we’re going to talk you through it, guide you okay? Rich is right handed so he’s going to sit to your left. Just sit back and get comfortable now. When you’re ready, hold his left arm firmly but try not to squeeze it too hard or you can restrict the blood flow. Just focus on the veins and decided which one you like.”

Bellamy watched and said in sub-human tones, “Remember what I’ve told you baby, use the scent to find a strong vein and stroke your tongue along it to find the place to bite. You can do this Clarke,” he said as she looked up at him, suddenly unsure. He sat back in the chair, his legs crossed but Clarke saw the tension in his posture and knew how hard this was for him.

Human veins were so different than vampire veins. The scent of the warm blood filled her senses as did the sound of his heartbeat. He was actually relaxed, and she was amazed at that. She let the change come over her, focusing on what she needed to do.

Clarke bent her head low over his arm and found the vein she wanted. When she went to bite Leah said, “Clarke, turn his arm a bit so that your bite is a bit more vertical. If you go in like you are the angle is too horizontal and you will likely roll the vein.”

Clarke licked her lip and refocused and then bit him, breaking the skin and when the blood started flowing into her mouth, she knew that she had managed to find the vein.

Rich’s breathing stayed even, and she couldn’t detect any arousal in him at all and she was thankful for that. She wanted to sneak a look up at Bellamy, but she stayed focused on what she was doing. She drank for a few minutes and finally she became aware that Leah was speaking to her.

“Okay Clarke, gently pull your fangs out so that you don’t tear the skin.”

Clarke did and then licked over the marks to seal them and looked down at his arm. The marks were a bit bigger than she would have wanted but not too bad. Leah immediately pulled gauze pads out and dabbed at the puncture marks, examining them. 

“Looks good Clarke, little tearing but they’ll heal well.” She pulled a small ice pack out and laid it over the marks while Rich moved to sit across from them. 

“Okay, I’m left-handed so I’ll sit on the right side of you. Same protocol as before and just relax! You did really well Clarke,” she told the young vampire in a reassuring tone. 

Clarke held the arm that was offered and repeated a successful bite. Afterwards she and Leah looked at the bite marks and Clarke saw that they were smaller than with Rich. She smiled, pleased that she did better this time.

Leah applied a bit of pressure to the bites and smiled at Clarke before placing band aids over the marks with a grin. “Way to go Clarke; you really did well.”

Bellamy stood up, pleased that Clarke had done well but more pleased that it was over with. “Rich, I believe we have a bit of business? Come with me please,” he said leading Rich into the office. 

Clarke and Leah chatted while the men were settling the fee. “Leah, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you and Rich get into this line of work?”

Leah looked off in the distance for a moment and a sad smile flashed briefly over her face. “Seven years ago, Rich’s little brother was attacked and left for dead actually. Except that he wasn’t. If Tim hadn’t found him it would have been very bad, but Tim and Mary took him in and fostered him until he was ready to be on his own. The medical aspects of it were astounding to say the least and we got involved with the community. So, we help out where we can, like this.” She smiled at Clarke and added, “You did very well you know; many aren’t as capable of such a clean bite so quickly.”

“It, it um, must not go so smoothly sometimes huh?”

“Not always, but we manage. We only do this once or twice a year really. It helps,” she said with a shrug.

“Bellamy is worried about me, so I appreciate how helpful and professional you both are.”

“Why is he worried about you? You did fine.”

“Oh, not that. I um, have some strange abilities that concern him. I can taste food and at the town bazaar the other night I ate an Indian taco and didn’t throw it up,” she told Leah, watching as astonishment flashed across her face.

“You ate it? The whole thing and didn’t vomit?”

“Nope. The next morning, well, it was all fine. It tasted really good.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing Clarke. But you are obviously a vamp.” Leah didn’t know what to think about this information, but she supposed that there could be different kinds of vamps out there; she’d just never met one before.

In the office Bellamy handed the check to Rich with a reserved smile. When Rich read it he said, “No, this is wrong. You don’t owe us this much.”

The check was a thousand dollars more than the negotiated fee. Bellamy was very impressed and more than a little grateful for how well it had gone. He frankly didn’t know how Rich or Leah had resisted the power of the bite but they both had, and it made it all so much better.

“Take it please. I can’t thank you both enough for making this easy for her, for both of us actually.”

Understanding dawned on Rich’s face and he nodded and said, “We’re professionals at this Bellamy and have learned how to control some of the associated issues with feeding.” He looked at the check again and said, “You’re sure about this?”

“I am.” Bellamy stood up and offered his hand and Rich accepted it enthusiastically. The two men walked out only to find Clarke and Leah in the kitchen sipping coffee.

“I don’t have any caffeine for twenty-four hours before we feed and boy, I needed this. Thank you, Clarke!”

Rich looked as Clarke sipped her coffee and then glanced at Bellamy who just looked back and shrugged with a smile.

All in all, it had been a good day for all of them.

):(

Ben carried a small box of investigative files from the evidence room back to his desk. He pulled the top off the box and watched as dust rose off the lid, briefly sparkling in the afternoon sunlight.

Inside there wasn’t much to see; a bloody sheet wrapped in a bag, case notes and pictures. Ben read through the roughly 40 pages of notes and found nothing at all helpful in them. Investigators had interviewed family members of Bellamy Blake, his mother and father and his sister, a few friends. None of them knew anything about what happened that fateful night at the Beverly Hills Hotel bungalow. They really didn’t know anything about Echo DuVall either for that matter. None of her family had come to the wedding and only one friend who disappeared about the same time as Echo and Bellamy. Suddenly her name stood out – Cynthia Davis. She had owned Echo’s house in the hills for a while he remembered. She was never interviewed after Bellamy and Echo’s death because the police couldn’t find her. Did she kill them?

_No way to tell really_.

He started looking at the pictures of the room. It was a bloody, gory mess; the bed was saturated with blood and there were blood smears all over the room and the bathroom too. A lamp was broken and so was the bathroom mirror so there had obviously been a struggle. He stared at two clear photos of bloody prints and an idea occurred to him – they were good enough to scan and run through the system. 

In 1959 there was no such thing as DNA evidence, but they did have fingerprint procedures. But – fingerprints were all looked at and compared by hand at that time, now they could be scanned by the computer. 

The prints were old, and it was a long shot, but worth a try. Ben took two of the photos down to the lab for processing. They should know in a day or so, maybe quicker. Maybe they’d find out who those prints belonged to after all these years.

):(

Bellamy and Clarke sat outside later that evening and talked about the afternoon. “Bellamy, it felt so good! I felt warm afterwards and the blood tasted so much better than the cold stuff we’ve been drinking. Why don’t you drink fresh?”

Bellamy’s eyebrows raised a fraction on an inch and thought about how he could have possibly explained to pre-vamp Clarke that he fed from freshies. _Yeah, that would have caused a war for sure._

“Clarke, it’s just my choice to not feed fresh. I- after I rescued you, I wanted, needed to change my life, stop using humans and so I didn’t drink fresh any longer.”

“But Bellamy, it was so much better! And it must be healthier too, I felt incredible after I’d done it.”

“Are you telling me you want to feed from freshies?” he asked, blown away by her suggestion.’

“Well, maybe not all the time but Bellamy, that fresh blood had, I don’t know, a feeling of vitality to it. It’s like you growing fresh vegetables for me, not wanting me eating canned stuff. More vitamins you said, more nutritious. It has to be the same with this.”

“I can’t believe what you are suggesting Clarke.”

“I, well, I’m not suggesting that we do it all the time for heaven’s sake but why can’t we a feed fresh couple of times a week? Bellamy, I felt so energized, so _alive_ when I fed from Leah and Rich.”

Bellamy couldn’t deny the benefits of feeding fresh, but he didn’t want to discuss it anymore right now. Instead he changed the subject. “I have another surprise for you, baby.”

“What?” she asked, eager to hear what it was. 

“Well, in the morning we need to get packed because Murphy and Raven are coming up here to take us home,” he said and watched as happiness spread across her face.

“Oh my gosh, you’re just telling me NOW?”

“Well, I wasn’t for sure until we saw how well you did with the feeding. You’re ready Clarke, it’s time to go home.”

Home…yes, it was time to go home.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovely readers! Well, we're down to 2 chapters of this story! Hope you enjoy the rest of it. Thanks for the kudos and comments, you make me feel so excited when I get the chime and know that there is something to see.
> 
> In this chapter, Raven and Murphy meet at Bellamy and Clarkes loft to makes sure all is ready for their return. Tango shows up to check on his cleaning crew and watches the tension and personal reactions between Murphy and Raven. In Seattle, Clarke is a mess . But it's time to go home.
> 
> Please see an end note at the bottom.

Chapter 26

Raven met Murphy at Bellamy and Clarke’s loft early Monday morning. When she got there, she found a very industrious cleaning crew, strangely dressed all in black who were thoroughly cleaning the penthouse with Murphy standing ever-watchful guard to make sure that it was done correctly, his way. Raven saw several of the crew cast baleful looks at him behind his back and she also saw him smiling with amusement when they weren’t looking. Some sort of twisted game she realized. 

“Raven!” he said, welcoming her into the controlled chaos. “Come and see what I just had delivered as a welcome home gift.”

Raven laughed and said, “We’re getting them gifts? I would have brought some wine.” She laughed and followed Murphy up the stairs into a room behind a gray door. She knew that the room had been Bellamy’s room although she’d never been inside. 

Inside was something that looked very strange to Raven; a large rectangular box that was very high tech looking. She had no real idea what it could be except that since vampires slept in freezers she knew that was what it must be, even if it didn’t resemble any freezer she had ever seen before. “A freezer?”

“Not just a freezer Raven, a Millennium X3000, the Cadillac of freezers, or maybe I should say the Ferrari,” he told her with a grin. He pushed a button and the lid lifted with a ‘whoosh’ sound that reminded her of the lift doors on Star Trek. 

“Wow, I’m impressed, I think. Does it fly or travel back to the future?” she teased since the door had lifted like a DeLorean. 

“Funny,” he quipped and then proceeded to show her all the accoutrements that the freezer had; padded sleeping surface that didn’t freeze, dual temp controls, on and on the list of features amazed her.

“Hm, maybe I need one of these puppies; certainly has more features than my plain old bed,” she laughed.

“If you were a vampire, you most certainly should!” he told her and caught her eye. For a breathless moment they stared at one another, each scared to speak again. Such simple little words, teasing words, which left them both wordless, neither knowing how to respond.

They heard a knock on the door below and Raven smiled and said, “Oh, my gift has arrived!” 

Murphy followed her down the stairs, enjoying the way she lightly almost skipped down the stairs in her excitement to get to the door. One of the cleaners stood with a delivery person who had a cart that held several dozen roses. The cleaner signed for them and turned to look at Murphy with a questioning look.

“Hey, I had nothing to do with it,” he told her.

“I had them delivered. Clarke loves these deep pink roses,” she told them, inhaling the sweet scent. To the cleaners the scent was almost over-powering and they wondered how a newly turned vamp would be able to handle the aroma.

Another knock sounded and the cleaner who answered the delivery opened the door once more, muttering “What is this, Grand Central Station?”

“Not quite my dear, but a trip there could be arranged for you,” Tango said as he walked in, not at all pleased by the tone the cleaner had used. 

Chrissie looked contrite and quickly headed back to dusting the living room. Tango watched and then took a quick glance around the room to find all of his crew diligently bent to their tasks. He smiled and walked to the kitchen where Raven and Murphy watched, and Raven fussed over the roses. “Raven and Murphy, how good to see you both! You’ve both recovered well I see,” he told them and was rewarded by a beautiful pink blush that spread over Raven’s neck and face along with a heartbeat that fluttered rapidly for a moment.

Humans couldn’t appreciate how lovely and enticing a blush was to a vampire or how jealous they felt over the human’s ability to produce the look. Tango had zero interest in being human again, but that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy being around humans and their beguiling attributes.

“Tango, what brought you here so early this morning?” Murphy asked, not sure he liked how Raven had responded to his friend.

“Just making sure all was going as planned. Did the freezer get here okay? Didn’t you tell me that it was the same one you had delivered when she was turned?” At Murphy’s nod of assent, he continued, “Raven, what did you think of it? Quite comfortable looking isn’t it?”

“I – uh, y-e-s,” she finally got out as she cast a quick look at Murphy from under lowered lashes and managed a delightful blush again. 

Tango couldn’t help but wonder what that one was about and for a moment he mulled over following the devil side of his soul but then decided that Murphy was involved enough that he likely wouldn’t take kindly to too much teasing of ‘his lady’ as Tango thought of Raven. Question was, did Murphy think of her that way? As he watched their demeanor a bit longer, he realized that Murphy did.

Tango had seen Murphy go through life, so many lives in fact, alone and lonely. When he found Sarah, Tango had been so happy for him but that happiness had quickly turned to heartbreaking grief as it became apparent that Sarah wasn’t going to awaken from her turning. 

Tango knew that he personally was appealing to the ladies, even without the vamp allure. He lived life on the edge and that was a big draw. There had been a time in the past when Murphy had shared that lifestyle, but Tango always knew that Murphy wanted more, however much of a player he pretended to be. Not that Tango exactly considered himself a player but he had no intention of ever settling down, if he hadn’t felt that desire in 300 odd years he doubted he ever would. If the ladies enjoyed his charm and wit, who was he to not enjoy himself too.

Was Raven the right woman for Murphy? One thing that Tango had learned over the years was how to be a good judge of people, a skill that had come in handy in his long life, both within the military and in his other endeavors. Tango thought that Raven was perfect for his friend; intelligent, sassy and well able to hold her own with Murphy. Tango admired the hell out of that little hellion and he knew just by looking at her that she _had_ been a hellion. As the blush slowly faded away from Raven Tango said, “Well, I have other things to check on; I like to spot check on my crews to see how they are doing. Murphy, did you realize that profits are up 23% since I took over? Life is good,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Saw that Tango, makes it better for everyone when they share the spoils I think. Miguel is extremely pleased as well.” They headed back down the stairs as the cleaning crew was packing up their tools and cleaning solutions.

Raven sniffed the air but couldn’t really detect any smell of whatever they had used. It made sense she supposed, vampire noses would be more sensitive so they probably used products without scents added to them. As she looked around the loft, she smiled at how lovely it looked, clean and sparkling and she knew that Bellamy at least would approve since he was such a clean freak.

She listened as Tango told his crew what a thorough and flawless job they had did. She waved at him as he left with them and turned her attention to the two large vases of roses as she tried to decide where to put them. They didn’t exactly go with the décor, but Clarke had been adding a few of her own personal touches here and there and the room wasn’t quite as sterile looking as when she first saw it. Not that Raven didn’t appreciate it that way because her own world was much like that too, only with lighter colors.

She sat one vase on the table in front of the door so that Clarke would see it as soon as she walked in and the other on the dining table. Two bright spots of color in the darker background of the room. She nodded with approval at her choices.

“Looks lovely Raven. Are you ready to head to the airport? My jet is waiting whenever we get there.” She nodded and they left the loft and headed to catch the jet. She was very excited to be on their way.

):(

Luca looked at his ringing cell phone, another ‘unavailable’ number and Luca knew exactly who it was. He’d ignored the calls for the past week, but whoever the mystery caller was he evidently didn’t give up. He punched the call button and said, “Yes?”

“Well you finally decided to answer detective. What have you found out?”

“Nothing, I’ve found out nothing because I’m not looking. I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing but you need to know that you don’t play with it cops. I’ve had enough and if you ever, _ever_ , contact me again I’ll hunt you down and you’ll be sitting your ass in jail for a long time. Got that?”

“Trust me detective, you want in on this; don’t piss me off or you’ll be the one sitting in jail wondering how you go there because you neglected to pursue justice.”

“Look slimeball, there is nothing to investigate, only some sort of vendetta or hoax, take your choice but I mean what I said, don’t call me again.” Luca pushed the end button and sat back in his chair, his body rippling with tension.

“Hey, you ready to go out on the Murdock case?” Wells said as he sat down at his desk which faced Luca’s. Luca had been like a bloodhound, trying to prove himself when he first came to the force, but he had relaxed a bit and Wells kind of liked him now. But right now he was curious because something was obviously wrong with his partner. “Hey man, what’s up?”

Luca gave Wells and level look as he debated whether or not to tell him about the list, the calls. Finally the decision made he said, “Let’s go out to the car and I’ll tell you.” He looked around the squad room with suspicion, not feeling like he could speak freely in front of everyone.

As they settled into the low-key sedan and Luca explained what was wrong and Wells listened in fascination. Someone really wanted that list to be investigated; unfortunately, Wells knew _why_ they wanted it investigated, just not _who_ wanted it done. Luca apparently didn’t know why or who, which could only work in favor of the vamps. 

“So, what do you think Wells? Should I be tracking down the names on that list?”

“Ben saw that list months ago and determined it is just a hoax, a nut case looking for attention Luca. Maybe we should be looking for who is doing it instead of why.” Wells didn’t know that the vamps had already figured out who it was, but he figured that if Luca was looking at any of it better the _who_ then the _why_.

“Okay Wells, let’s see if we can find this crazy son of a bitch.”

):(

Raven looked down at the Pacific 25,000 feet below them. It looked so blue from up here and very calm. The jet streaked along the coastline heading for a small airport north of Seattle where they would take a helicopter across Puget Sound to get to Bellamy and Clarke’s. Murphy had explained that they didn’t have to do that but that it was much quicker than landing at SeaTac and then making the car journey that involved the ferry. That actually took almost as long as the flight up to Seattle in the first place.

“So, this is the place that Bellamy moved to when he left LA when Clarke was 17?” At Murphy’s nod she continued, “Did you know that she knew when he left?”

“She knew? How?” he asked, puzzled.

“I don’t exactly know, she felt it sort of. She always knew that he was out there, watching her. We always, she, Harper and I talked about Clarke’s ‘shadow man’ because we all thought we caught glimpses of him from time to time. Then one night, she woke up in a cold sweat and knew that he was gone – she couldn’t feel him any longer. She cried for days Murphy; it nearly broke her heart. We didn’t know what had happened; maybe he had died tragically or he had decided to watch some other little girl. We didn’t realize how strange that would have been,” she told him with a smile, child predators being what that was called.

Murphy was astounded by what she told him; they knew? They knew that Bellamy had been there in Clarke’s life. He didn’t know what to say.

“I sort of liked to think he was watching over me too, you know? Even though I knew that he was Clarke’s shadow man. Still, it made me feel better, safer.”

Murphy felt a cold stab of hatred spear his heart at the thoughts of what this little one must have gone through in her young life and made him doubly determined to avenge her. He swallowed to ease the ache in his throat and said, “You know that you are safe now Raven? He can’t hurt you anymore and neither can your mother.”

“Yes, I know.” She gave a careless shrug and pursed her lips while she considered those words for a moment. They were true, they hadn’t been able to hurt her for a long while and much of the credit for that went to her grandparents. “I miss Clarke so much but I’m also nervous to see her.”

“Why?” Surely, she couldn’t think that Clarke would hurt her?

“I don’t know exactly. She’ll be different now in some ways. The basic layers of our friendship have changed.”

“No, they haven’t. Clarke will still be the Clarke you know and love Raven. You’ve talked to her on the phone, you know that. That being said, some of the activities you have shared in the past will be different, but nothing that you can’t handle. I personally think that Clarke will make a wonderful vampire; I always told Bellamy that. Bellamy on the other hand, well in many ways he would have been better off never having been turned. I told Echo that before she did it.”

“You knew her?” Raven had heard things from Clarke about Echo/Morgan and she knew how much pain the woman had caused in Clarke’s life.

“Yes, unfortunately I did. Met her a long, long time ago, way before she met Bellamy. Abraham Lincoln was president actually. Echo is a selfish, scheming and depraved individual and that’s a tough thing to acknowledge since many vampires can be described the same way, myself included in the past.”

“But you’ve changed?” Raven asked because that didn’t sound like the Murphy, she knew at all.

“Raven, the very nature of vampires means that survival is our number one priority and when you are surrounded by a humanity that is paranoid and set against beings that are not like them, well sometimes you find yourself doing things you wished that you hadn’t done. It’s inevitable. Make no mistake; we all have that dark side, humans and vampires alike; the important thing is how we control it. Those two that attacked you in Japan were despicable and a horrible introduction to our kind but make no mistake, there are others out there just like them.”

Raven digested his words carefully and knew them to be the truth; Roan has told her the same thing. The truth was that she couldn’t go backwards, not ‘know’ any longer about vampires. She had to find a way to go forward and not let the fear of them rule her life. There are good and bad, of human and vampires both and all she could do was to try to accept that and stay out of their way. 

“So, you don’t think that Echo should have turned Bellamy? Clarke says he hates being a vampire.”

“Well, the truth is that I don’t believe that he hates being a vampire so much. He saw when Clarke was kidnapped as a child and by Pearce Anders that being a vampire saved Clarke and he’s saved others as well like Audrey. The power, the abilities are incredible. What Bellamy actually hates, in my opinion, is what he perceives that he lost by being turned. I’ve often thought that if Echo would have told him before hand as I suggested that he might well have accepted it.”

Life would certainly have been different for Clarke had that happened. Raven herself would probably stayed on the same path but how would it have felt to be the one that carried that secret, unable to tell Clarke or Harper? Not good, not good at all.

“What does he think he lost?”

Murphy smiled and said, “I don’t know exactly; mom, apple pie and the white picket fence? Not for me to say but in reality I wonder if he would have had that anyway. Bellamy apparently came home from the war a changed man, which I can understand. War does things to a man, human or vampire. He drifted a bit then, not as in moving around but from what a ‘good’ man was expected to be, at that time. His unhappy love affair with his best friend’s wife probably caused some of that too.”

Raven caught the war reference and wondered about that because the comment seemed to come from personal experience for Murphy, but she didn’t ask. Maybe someday. Raven knew about Bellamy’s affair after the war with his childhood friend and how he had disappeared when Ray came home. Clarke thought that it had devastated Bellamy and what was even worse was the thought that for a very brief time he thought he might have had a family. And family she reminded herself was something a vampire couldn’t have, not in the traditional sense.

Murphy stared sightlessly out the window, still thinking about Bellamy. “He was playing in a band when Echo found him although I often wondered if she hadn’t spotted him before and followed him here eventually. She was certainly obsessed with him. Anyway, living a rather deviant lifestyle at that time, when society was focused on rebuilding, the country and relationships, playing in a band in bars most nights and getting a little wild and crazy to boot, well, he was rebelling and his parents were pretty unhappy with him he said. He met a wonderful woman at that time and planned to marry her, but Echo came along, and I believe used allure on him, although she denies it and within a month, he married her. So, that picket fence, family, all that was ripped from him and it’s so easy to mourn what we never had; you build it up to proportions that couldn’t possibly be lived up to.”

Raven nodded, realizing how true Murphy’s words were. She’d done that her whole life, wanting, expecting to find a family to love her, someone to share her life with. After she was an adult she realized she was the one that was lacking, the one that couldn’t make it work. Would this time be any different?

):(

Clarke and Bellamy were all packed and ready to go. Murphy had called from the airport and they were getting ready to board the helicopter that would bring them over the sound. Clarke was very nervous, fidgeting all morning. She drank her blood but said that it just didn’t ‘taste’ right and Bellamy knew that she was thinking about feeding fresh.

Murphy had been delighted to hear that Clarke had liked feeding fresh and of course agreed with her that it would be good for them, but he hadn’t pressed the point, which had surprised Bellamy. 

The reasons he had stopped feeding fresh were all still valid; he did not consider himself a predator any longer but now there were other reasons to consider as to why he didn’t want to do it. 

Rich had handled it very well, but Bellamy was realistic, most humans couldn’t, and Bellamy knew that he couldn’t sit by and watch some guy getting off because his wife was feeding from him. And he seriously doubted if Clarke would like it if she watched him with a female. It might not be intimate to the vampire but it sure as hell was to the human – the exception to that was when the vampire was your _mate_. How could either one of them control themselves in that situation? 

Fresh was better for you? He couldn’t deny that; he might be a stubborn guy but he wasn’t stupid and he knew that bagged blood was a poor substitute. For a fledgling, well it might be very important for them to feed fresh he told himself. He had, but the circumstances were different then. Echo had carried it to the extreme, killing off their victims and he gradually got to where it didn’t matter any longer. Those lives, so many lives he’d taken in the past and he couldn’t trust himself not to fall into that again. 

Sure, he’d fed fresh with Murphy lots of times, but it was different with Murphy, more sport than anything. Could he stay in control and not let what was the nature of the vampire exalt in the fresh blood? 

He glanced up at his wife as she paced nervously around the room. She was a pale, paler than normal that is and it worried him a bit. Watching her was like watching a jungle cat pace a cage; she was graceful and lithe as she walked but he could see that she was about ready to pounce on something.

“Clarke, baby are you sure you don’t need to feed a bit more?”

“No Bellamy, I’m fine. I’m just anxious; what if she hates me now?”

“She won’t hate you Clarke. You’ve talked to her most days since you’ve been here, she doesn’t hate you.”

“She killed someone because of me Bellamy – how could she not hate me for having to live with that?”

“Clarke, if it had been her that was attacked, what would you have done?”

Clarke sighed and said, “The same. Oh Bellamy, I wish they’d get here!”

Suddenly they both heard the rotors in the distance, and he said, “Come on, let’s go down to the beach.”

It only took a few seconds for them to make it to the beach at vamp speed and they were there waiting as it set down about 50 feet from them, kicking up dry sand and causing frothy ripples on the water that lapped at the shore. Clarke stood still, waiting for the door to open, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.

Finally, the door opened, and Murphy stepped out and then lifted Raven down. They both ducked to avoid as much rotor wash as possible and then ran to where Bellamy and Clarke waited. The copter took off, heading back to Seattle.

Clarke and Raven stood a few feet apart, staring at one another and then they fell together, hugging tightly while tears streaked both of their faces. Neither could speak as they were both caught up in the moment of seeing one another again.

Bellamy and Murphy shook hands and then did a guy hug, one hand patting the other on the back and Murphy looked over at the girls with an approving smile.

“They both needed this it seems. Raven has been a mess today, waiting to see Clarke.”

“So has Clarke; she’s a bundle of nerves.”

Finally, the girls pulled apart and Clarke ran to Murphy and pulled him into a warm hug while Bellamy hugged Raven. That was when he caught the scent and cast a look at Murphy, who looked away guiltily.

_What the hell??_

“Murphy, why don’t we let the girls walk ahead of us and we can catch up,” Bellamy said. The girls were already striding to the house, hands linked and chattering away. When they were out of even vamp earshot Bellamy squared off in front of Murphy and said, “What the fuck have you done Murphy?”

“Hey, it’s not like you think, okay? I didn’t take advantage of her Bellamy.”

“The hell you didn’t. Your fangs in her equal taking advantage.”

“No! It’s all Clarke’s fault. She evidently told Raven about the desert and Raven got it into her head that she needed to get drunk and make me feed from her when I got shot.”

“She was _drunk_? You fed from her when she was drunk?” A vicious growl emanated from deep within his throat Bellamy stepped back, out of arms reach because right now he wanted to beat the crap out of his best friend. “Wait, you got shot?” The rest of Murphy’s statement finally sunk in.

“Yes, at the beach, protecting her I might add. Well, and the Ferrari, from some punks intent on stealing it. I got shot twice and Tango came to pull the bullets out and he mentioned to her that the only way a vamp could feel the effects of alcohol was if the blood they drank was full of it.”

“And so she saw you, probably carrying on like a whining baby and decided to shut you up with her _blood_?”

“Sort of. Look, I’m not proud of it Bellamy. And as it turns out, it meant something – to both of us.”

Bellamy saw the truth starkly written on Murphy’s face; he loved Raven. _I’ll be damned, he really loves her._

Bellamy didn’t know what to say; Murphy was in pain and still caught up in guilt and Bellamy could relate to that. “Come on into the house Murphy. We can talk about this later. But I wouldn’t want to be you when Clarke finds out.”

“Yes, well let’s just make sure to keep any sharp, pointy objects away from her until after that, okay?”

“You got it buddy. Man, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes for anything!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tomorrow night is the finale. I can't say that I'm sorry to see it end because I'm not. For me, it ended a long time ago, but with Bellamy's senseless death that just made sure that my give a damn about it was busted. I have great anger and resentment against Jrott and his puppet writer, Kim Shumway for the way this has all been handled. The fact that Clarke had to go through that agonizing situation with Madi, crying "My baby, my baby" killed me. How heartless and insensitive of them to do that to her, knowing that Eliza and Bob had recently lost a baby. Okay, rant over, but I'm just ready to move on. I think a lot of the 100 writers are sort of pulling away from fan fic. I love the characters so I'm staying. Bellamy and Clarke will always have a happy ending in my stories.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers. Well, this is it, the last chapter in this story, the second in the Her Shadow Man series. Please see the end of the story for a few more notes and information. But now...
> 
> Roan is very worried about what will happen to Clarke that night as he fears she will change and makes some plans. Cami comes to him and ask to learn the bite so that she and Wells may be intimate and Roan promises to help her
> 
> Ben gets some startling news from the lab and a major truth is revealed about his interest in Bellamy.
> 
> Clarke is worried about Harper's feelings about her, but is not feeling well. Bellamy becomes more concerned as does Murphy and Raven. What is happening to her?

Chapter 27 Endings and Beginnings

Roan walked into Murphy Industries late on Monday morning to see how things were going. He knew that Raven was going to Seattle with Murphy to bring Bellamy and Clarke back to LA and he had serious misgivings about it when he got the message this morning. He had tried to call Raven and Murphy both but their phones both went to voice mail immediately and all he could do was leave messages for them to call him as soon as possible.

Roan wasn’t sure if he was right about Clarke, but if he was, this night, of all nights would be dangerous for her. And it was not a night for Raven to be with her either even if Murphy and Bellamy were there as well. There were questions to be answered and it’s possible that Clarke’s world would change dramatically.

He found Cami in the new computer security monitoring center, working on the last of the security protocols needed before they could begin the software installs. Murphy had hired a very bright young woman by the name of Audrey to be the Ops manager and Roan thought Murphy was one lucky son of a bitch to have found her; he’d steal her away in a moment if he thought he had a chance.

“Cami, how are things going?” he asked as he watched her fingers fly over the keyboard, watching the screens flash by in only seconds. Her visual ability to keep up was amazing; she was even quicker at it then most vampires could be.

She looked up and flashed him a smile before focusing on the monitor again. “Hi Roan. Looking good actually. This new system is amazing. I think Murphy will be very pleased.”

“Um hm. Speaking of Murphy, I hear that he and Raven have gone to Seattle; have you talked with either of them today?”

“No, I haven’t. I spoke with Raven last night; she said she had tried to call you.”

“Yes, yes she did; unfortunately, I was unavailable.” He had hoped to be going to Seattle himself today, just in case but that didn’t work out. Hopefully he was wrong about everything.

_So rare, all so very rare…_

“Did she say when they will be back Cami?”

“She seemed to think tonight sometime; she wasn’t taking a bag with her so she’s not expecting to stay the night.”

Roan closed his eyes for a moment and took a calming breath. Other measures would have to be taken. Just in case.

“I see.”

They talked for a few more minutes until the computer finished it’s install and then Cami turned to Roan with a small bow and said, “Roan - San, may I speak with you?”

She used the Japanese honorary which made Roan scrutinize her carefully. “Of course, Camille.” He closed the door to the room and sat down in a chair, waiting for Cami to speak. He had lived in Japan for many centuries and had adopted their ways; the formality of it all were pleasing to him.

Cami knelt down in front of Roan and bowed her head before beginning. “Roan – San, I have questions. _Hon’in ni-do annai_.”

“Of course, Camille. You seek my guidance; please speak freely Goreijou (my daughter).”

“ _Domo arigato Otokooya_ (father). I am seeing a man, in a – a romantic way and I’m scared.”

“You are scared of him?”

“Oh no! No _Otokooya_. I am afraid of myself, of being…close, close to him.”

The picture became very clear to Roan; Cami had never been with a man as a vampire. And only her husband had touched her before that. She had very limited experience as a woman and none at all as a vampire. This was one area that they had never covered in her secluded life. 

When his men found her on the isolated beach almost 100 years before she was out of her mind with the blood fever, literally starving with no clue what she needed. She was basically feral, but because she was so young and small his men had brought her to him and Roan saw immediately that she was a fresh turn that had no idea what was happening to her. Fresh blood was brought, and she immediately drank it down and asked for more, smearing the blood across her face as she swiped her hand across her mouth. She couldn’t get enough and before he knew it she had consumed at least 3 pints. 

Cami learned slowly about her new world but chose to stay in the background of his life. Roan had never had children; he had been a warrior of the fiercest kind, before he had been turned. A wife and children had no place in such a brutal existence. Cami’s fear of the world touched his heart and he grew to love the young woman a great deal. It took years to get her to venture into the world and many more years to coax her to go to college and live among humans. It had been difficult at times, but you did what you must for your children.

“This young man is Wells, yes? I met him at the party?”

“Yes. He is such a good man _Otokooya_. He knows about vampires and he doesn’t care; he wants to be with me. When I am ready.”

Roan had already had Wells Jaha checked out after he presented the list to Murphy, he did know that he was a good man. But knowing that she was a vampire and being able to deal with it in a romantic situation were two different things.

He nodded at Cami’s words, knowing that he must have a talk with the young man. But in the meantime Cami’s fears must be addressed and he wasn’t sure he was the right person to reassure her because she was asking about the physical aspects of her love for him. For her sake, he would try.

“ _Goreijou_ , you are afraid of the vampires needs in sexual intimacy?”

“Yes,” she said hesitantly. “I know that we must, um, we must bite but I don’t know how to do that.”

Cami had never been willing to learn to feed fresh, no matter how hard he had tried to coax her. Feeding fresh when she was first turned was much easier than capturing human blood, especially without the human dying. He knew that in many ways he had been a lax parent but it was so easy to indulge her. Now she paid the price for his forestalling of the necessary education.

“ _Goreijou_ , it is not a thing to be afraid of, but you must learn the bite. It is part of the expression of love and satisfaction for a vampire. My daughter, you will learn to feed fresh now, learn the bite so that you can move forward in your relationship with the good detective. This coming weekend, you will learn.” He stood up and offered his hand to her so that she might rise. She took it and bowed to him again, understanding that his mind was made up and the conversation was over.

“Thank you _Otokooya_.” She smiled at him, but he saw the fear that registered on her face. 

He tilted her head up and smiled at her, as effort to reassure her. His eyes met hers and saw that she would be okay, even if she were scared. Now, he had to figure out what to do with the other child of his heart who might very well be in direct danger this night.

):(

Ben startled by the knock on his office door. He looked up and motioned for the runner to come in. “From the lab sir. You wanted the results ASAP.”

“Yes, thank you very much.” He watched as the runner left the office, closing the door behind him before tearing open the envelope. He pulled the documents out and read them and suddenly his world was turned upside down or inside out or something.

He fell back into the seat of his chair heavily and leaned back, the chair squeaking loudly. He glanced as the information again and closed his eyes, definitely feeling sick to his stomach. His heart pounded wildly and he pulled in one deep breath and then another trying to calm down a bit.

_This can’t possibly be right._

He opened his eyes and read the results again, more carefully this time. Two sets of prints were found in the room but one couldn’t be matched to anyone. The second set belonged to Bellamy Blake, no surprise there except they belonged to the Bellamy Blake he knew. The Bellamy Blake who was about 30 years old.

_Not possible._

Except that it was; they were a perfect match. Statistically speaking, it is impossible for two people, regardless of how closely they are related to have the same, exact fingerprints. Even twins didn’t share that characteristic.

So how did the Bellamy Blake of today have the same fingerprints as the Bellamy Blake of 1959? 

The Bellamy Blake that was his grandfather?

):(

Clarke showed Raven around the house in Seattle and Raven was amazed at how large it was as they made their way through all the bedrooms, the gym, family room and kitchen. 

“It is huge Clarke!”

“Yes, it was a hunting lodge when Bellamy bought it. I love it but it’s a good thing that Bellamy is a clean freak because I wouldn’t want to clean it all by myself!” she laughed.

“Yeah, no kidding. It is beautiful though; I can understand why you love it here.”

“Yes, but I’m more than ready to go home Raven.”

Raven noticed that Clarke was picking at her fingernails, a habit she had when she was nervous. “Hey Clarke, it’s all going to be okay, going home I mean.”

“Yes, maybe. Raven, Harper hates me; the last two times I’ve talked to her she barely says anything and rushes off the phone.”

“Well, don’t take that too seriously Clarke, she has a two-week-old infant to deal with. She’s not exactly waxing eloquently with anyone right now.” Raven hoped that her words were reassuring but she too had noticed that Harper was distancing herself and she could only hope that it was because of Brian.

The girls had stepped back into the kitchen where Bellamy was pouring drinks for Murphy and him. Bellamy looked caught and guilty as Raven noticed that what he was pouring was suspiciously red. 

“Oh, we can do this later,” he said, stopping what he was doing.

“No Bellamy, it’s okay, really. I just think of it as tomato juice. Please, go ahead.”

Bellamy cast a quick look at Murphy who gave a slight shrug that did not go unnoticed by Clarke. Not sure what it was about she filed it away to ask about later. “Raven, would you like something? Coffee or maybe some tea?” She couldn’t help but wonder when Raven had seen someone drinking blood.

“Something warm would be really nice; I’m kind of chilly.”

Clarke nodded and put a kettle on for tea, knowing that Raven didn’t drink coffee very often. Raven was wearing a hoodie over a tee shirt and Clarke knew that the temp here must seem cool to a human. When she and Bellamy were here for their honeymoon, she had dressed warmly in order for the temperature to be comfortable for Bellamy. “Tea coming up then,” she said as she pulled a cup and saucer out of the cabinet and said, “Let’s sit in the dining room; the view there is fantastic in there.” She set the cup and saucer on the table in front of Raven, adding a container of sugar and a spoon.

Bellamy sat glasses of blood on the table for Murphy, Clarke and himself before taking a seat. “So, were you two talking about Harper?” It was obvious that they had been since you can’t fool vamp hearing.

“Yes, I’m so afraid she hates me. I don’t know what to do.” The kettle started whistling loudly and Clarke ran back into the kitchen and grabbed it off the stove and poured the steaming water into a small tea pot and added the tea bags before sitting it in front of Raven to steep.

“Clarke, I’m sure that isn’t true,” Bellamy tried to say, hoping to reassure her.

“He’s right Clarke, I don’t think she hates you or me, but she’s hurt, really hurt and some kind of explanation is going to have to be made. Something other than what you’ve already told her that is because she knows it’s not true.”

Clarke took a sip of her blood and shuddered, making a face which both Murphy and Bellamy noticed. “Something wrong baby?”

“No, it’s just my stomach is really queasy, nerves I guess.” She shrugged and took another sip, definitely feeling nauseous now. She pushed the glass away and looked longingly at the tea. “Maybe some tea will settle my stomach.”

After she got a cup for herself, she poured a cup and took a tentative sip and as soon as she did it she knew it was going to come back up. She made a mad dash to the bathroom off the kitchen just in time. When she was done, she splashed cold water on her face and looked up to see Bellamy watching her with a worried expression marring his face.

“Clarke, you’re not okay. This, this shouldn’t be happening. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know Bellamy. I feel terrible, jittery and like something is definitely wrong.” She wrapped her arms around him and he held her tightly for a moment. She buried her face into his neck and inhaled his comforting scent and thought of the warm blood from Leah and Rich, how good that had tasted.

“I’m just nervous; seeing Mom and Marcus, facing Harper, it’s all really scary for me. I miss them all so much Bellamy but I’m afraid they are going to see me as different now, that is if Harper will see me at all.”

At the table, even Raven could hear what Bellamy and Clarke were saying. She looked at Murphy, pain showing clearly on her face. He reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand. “We’re going to make it alright Raven, Bellamy and I will make it right I promise.”

Raven was as worried about Harper as Clarke was. She knew their friend was deeply hurt and angry because she knew instinctively that something had been kept from her. “We have to tell them, or we’ll have to write them out of our lives Murphy. But even if we do tell them, how do we know that she and Monty can handle it? They are very conventional people; I doubt if they have ever even considered vampires.” Her words were spoken but Bellamy and Clarke both heard them and came back to the kitchen. Raven caught a deep breath when she saw how pale Clarke was.

“Clarke, you really have to drink some of that O+,” Murphy told her, alarmed at how bad she looked. Normally by now a vampire would be on a rampage for blood and that is exactly what he was afraid of now. And as Raven was the only human in the vicinity, he didn’t want any problems. Maybe Clarke wasn’t ready to come home after all.

“He’s right Clarkey,” Raven said. She knew little of vampires, but she knew that Clarke looked ready to collapse. “Please, for me? Just drink a little,” she coaxed.

Clarke nodded and took a sip, then another. It tasted terrible and didn’t sit well on her stomach but she wasn’t throwing it up and that was something. After a few minutes and half a glass, she felt a bit better as they discussed Harper and Monty.

“As much as I hate the thought of more humans knowing, I think they have to be told if either of you want to preserve your relationships with them. If you want to walk away, then we keep quiet,” Murphy said.

When both girls looked distressed, he knew they would be talking to Harper and Monty. Murphy only hoped that they could be trusted, for all their sakes.

A knock on the front door surprised them all, even the vamps who had been so engrossed in the conversation they hadn’t heard Tim and Mary arrive. “I’ll get it,” Bellamy said and headed into the foyer to answer the door.

When Bellamy opened the door, he saw Tim and Mary, wearing broad smiles and each carrying a large box. “Hey, glad you came over. Come on in,” Bellamy said, welcoming them into the house.

“We brought some apple and pear butter for you to take home to family and friends. And some apple sauce for Clarke’s friends’ little ones.” Mary said as they headed into the dining room.

Clarke was on her feet as they entered, so happy to see them. When they set the boxes down she hugged them both. “Thank you so much, I know everyone will love your gift. Tim, Mary I want you to meet my friend Raven; Raven, this is Tim and Mary!”

Raven stood up and shook their hands with a smile. Clarke had talked a great deal about this couple who had come to mean so much to her. “I am so happy to meet you finally,” she told them. “Clarke talks of you constantly! And she raves about all this,” she said, motioning to the boxes of goodies.

“We’ve heard much about you as well Raven. What do you think of the area?”

“It’s lovely. As we flew in, I could see how lush and green it all is – and the trees are huge!”

Clarke looked disconcerted for a moment and then looked quickly down, as if she was embarrassed. 

_Wonder what that is about?_

Bellamy wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him in a hug. “They are beautiful. Tim, Mary, would you care for a drink?” he asked, trying to steer the conversation in another direction so that Clarke would forget about her accident in the forest the week before.

“No, we’re fine Bellamy. We just wanted to come and say goodbye.”

“Well, please sit down for a bit anyway,” he told them and pulled out a chair for Mary who took it with a smile.

After they were seated Mary said, “When will you be leaving?”

“The helicopter will be back around 7:30 to pick us up and so we should be in the air no later than eight. If all goes well anyway,” Murphy said.

“Murphy, you are looking remarkably well. Been a long time since we saw you. How’s business?”

“Good Tim! Do you read the quarterly reports we send on your investments? They are growing substantially.”

“You bet we do! You are a miracle man when it comes to money Murphy and we thank you kindly for it!” Tim said, with Mary nodding in agreement. Murphy had made them very wealthy and they appreciated it because it allowed them to help the community here a good deal.

Murphy cast a slightly surly look at Bellamy and said, “Well, that’s more than some people do I have to say.”

Bellamy grinned at his friend and said, “That’s what I have you for Murphy, to keep an eye on all that!”

Mary watched Clarke with curious eyes; she was very nervous and fidgety. She often got up and walked around the room, pausing here and there to pick something up and then just as quickly set it down. She sipped occasionally from her glass of blood but then grimaced when she did so. When she started washing the cups and glasses Mary went to help her, taking them from Clarke’s hands as she noticed a tremor that made her hands shake.

“Here Clarke, let me.” She picked up the cloth and washed and rinsed the cups and sat them in the drainer to dry. “What is wrong Clarke? You are very jumpy today,” she said with a smile.

“I don’t know Mary, I’m just really uneasy about going home. I mean, I want to, but I keep wondering if they’ll still love me, I guess. I’m not exactly the same person who left there, you know?”

“In all the ways that matter you are. It will be fine Clarke, I promise you. They will be so happy to see you again the rest of it won’t matter a bit.”

“Do you really believe that Mary?”

“I do.” She gave Clarke a hug and they went back to the dining room to sit and chat with the others. 

When it was time for the helicopter to come back the men carried the luggage down to the beach and returned for the boxes of gifts from Mary and Tim. “I can’t believe how much stuff you’re taking back for heaven’s sake! I didn’t send this much up here to begin with!” Murphy groused as he lifted a box that was heavily laden with apple butter.

Clarke rolled her eyes and looked around the foyer wistfully as they heard the chopper coming in to land. “Well, it’s time to go,” she said and took a step outside the door, with everyone following her. Bellamy pulled it closed and ensured that it was locked, and the alarm set before he followed the group to the beach, catching up easily.

The helicopter had just come to a landing as they got there. The bags and boxes were carefully loaded in the cargo area and then it was time for goodbyes. After Tim and Mary received hugs Tim noticed that Clarke was tearing up.

“There is no Cheyenne word for goodbye. Ip’tele’hap’o,” he said with a raised hand that he moved along his chest, palm outward. “That means ‘see you when you travel this way again.’ We’ve promised to come to LA soon, so we’ll see you then.”

Clarke nodded and climbed aboard the helicopter and sat down and buckled in as Bellamy shut the door and the automatic locks clicked into place. They lifted off swiftly and soon they were over the sound and Tim and Mary couldn’t be seen any longer, only the grayish waters of the sound.

Before long they spotted the small airport and saw the jet sitting on the tarmac waiting for them. The sun was just beginning to dip into the placid waters of the Pacific as they took off and banked south. Clarke sat back in her seat and stared out the window as Seattle fell away into the dusk. 

Bellamy sat beside her and squeezed her hand and grew concerned as he felt how it trembled. He watched her swallow hard and breathe deeply, as if she felt ill again. 

“Clarke, are you alright? You are very pale again.”

“No – yes. I don’t know. Why am I so scared Bellamy?”

“I don’t know baby, but it will be okay, really. Why don’t you feed a bit more? Clarke you are so pale that I’m really worried about you.”

She nodded; the movement jerky as she swallowed hard again. She felt as if she had a tennis ball bobbing in her throat. Bellamy went to the small fridge on board and poured some blood into a tumbler for Clarke to drink. He caught Murphy’s glance as he did so and realized that Murphy was worried as well.

Clarke waited even though she really didn’t want that cold, refrigerated blood but for Bellamy’s sake she would drink it. Really, she wasn’t hungry, but the blood might help her nerves. She looked out the window to the east and saw the moon rising, full and bright. The harvest moon her mom used to call it, when it was full and orange-tinted. It was beautiful and looked huge sitting in the dark diamond speckled sky.

Raven sat quietly, thinking about the day in Seattle. Clarke was still Clarke but there was something wrong with her; Raven didn’t know what it was, but something wasn’t right. Maybe she was just worried about going home, but Raven doubted it. If Clarke were still human Raven would swear that she was coming down with a bug, but vampires couldn’t catch viruses, could they? She didn’t think so, but then, what did she really know.

She caught Clarke gazing out the window at the full moon and sighed, it was so beautiful. It reminded her of the moon at Murphy’s, the night they jumped off the cliff. It wasn’t full that night of course, but it was still lovely. She absently stroked the twin marks on her arm, marks that were nearly gone and she felt a tingle in the pit of her stomach which for some strange reason caused a blush to spread upwards. She caught Murphy looking at her and quickly lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

When Raven rubbed his mark, it had sent a bit of electricity shooting straight to Murphy; their connection was strong, stronger than any he had ever experienced. It scared him, he loved her, and he had never managed to make love work in his life – or last for that matter. He hoped with all his heart that he wouldn’t hurt her, or that she wouldn’t hurt him. It was a sobering thought for the young man’s heart that lived in an ancient vampire’s body.

It was a quiet trip home for them; all four were each lost in their own thoughts. Clarke had drunk a glass of blood for Bellamy and fought the urge to vomit. She didn’t tell him that because he would have worried even more than he already was. She wanted fresh blood, she needed it but she was afraid to tell Bellamy that either. He was against the idea of freshies, but she was afraid that she couldn’t live without them. Maybe it was just a matter of adapting, she wasn’t sure, but she was going to try; she promised herself that she could do it.

):(

Roan had discovered from Thor, (a very strange name for a modern man Roan thought) that Murphy’s jet was due back to LA a little before 10:00 pm. He planned to meet them at Bellamy and Clarke’s home, but first he had a stop to make. He hoped to be there when they returned home but as luck would have it, it didn’t quite work out that way.

By the time the limousine dropped the travelers off at Bellamy and Clarke’s she was really shaky and gripped the walls of the lift to stay upright. She and Raven entered the loft and she immediately pulled her jacket off and headed for the kitchen, knowing that Murphy would have stocked in blood for them. Raven followed her, keeping watch as Bellamy and Murphy went back downstairs to bring the rest of the bags up. 

Raven pulled off the hoodie because it was much warmer here. As she did so Clarke saw her arm and dropped the carafe of blood that she had been holding. It dropped to the tiled floor and blood and glass sprayed everywhere in the pristine kitchen. She flew over the kitchen counter and grabbed Raven’s arm, looking at the two tiny puncture marks.

Raven tried to pull back because she’d never seen Clarke like this – her eyes were a deep, brilliant blue with other colors swirling in them, almost like opals. Yes, opals, that what they looked like she decided. “Clarke?” she said as she heard her growl, low and deep. 

Clarke scented Murphy on Raven now, the scent was all over her and Clarke couldn’t believe that she hadn’t picked up on it earlier. Another growl issued forth from her and she said, “Murphy! He bit you!” For a moment Clarke was momentarily mesmerized by the river of deep blue veins that seemed to pulse on Raven’s neck and arm. 

She needed blood, fresh blood but not Raven’s – never Raven’s she knew. She dropped Raven’s arm as she heard Murphy and Bellamy come in the door and Clarke sprang at Murphy, going for his throat. “You bit her!” she growled. She was totally vamped out and she needed blood, real blood. The elevator dinged and suddenly she caught the scent, the scent of what she needed.

Roan panicked for a moment as he heard the tone in Clarke’s voice. Was he too late he wondered, heading quickly to the door? He motioned to Kenji to wait outside for a moment while he stepped into the loft, quickly assessing the situation.

Bellamy was shielding Raven, figuring that Murphy could hold his own with Clarke when he heard the elevator and footsteps in the hallway outside the door, which they had left open when he and Murphy realized that Clarke was vamped out. 

“Raven, run!” a voice from the doorway said and they all looked up to see Roan standing there. “RUN NOW!” Raven scooted around Clarke and Murphy and ran out the door, stabbing the elevator button over and over until the door opened. She ran to her car downstairs, glad that she had the keys in her pocket.

Clarke was growling again, fangs fully extended and Roan spoke calmly to her. “Clarke, you need blood, you need to feed.” He stepped out the door and brought a young man in, but stood protectively in front of him. “He is going to feed you, but you need to control yourself first. Can you do that?” He talked in a hushed, urgent tone of voice and Bellamy and Murphy both realized that he was using allure to help calm Clarke. 

She eyed the young man and spotted the veins on his neck and lifted her head to scent his blood. Fresh blood. She took a step towards him, knowing instinctively that this was her only chance.

For survival…

Dun, dun, dun…

_With arms wide open  
Now everything has changed  
I'll show you love  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
With arms wide open_

The end that is just a beginning…

I want to thank each and every one of you that have read and enjoyed the story as well as those who have taken time to comment. Your kind words and gracious appreciation always make the difference to a writer, they inspire us and encourage us to keep going, to continue with the story. Your feedback is a precious gift to me, thank you with all my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the end! The next story will start the Tuesday after next. It's called Takes My Breath Away and it is equally focused on Bellarke and Murven but we also get lot of Jasper/Audrey, Harper/Monty and Wells/Cami and more Abby/Marcus and her pregnancy thrown in for romance. 
> 
> There are more major changes in store for Clarke and some of them will be hard for Bellamy to handle. Raven will also find the challenges of loving a vampire to be harder than she thought. There will be a major case for Bellamy and Clarke to work on that will bring in new people and let us take a look at Tango and Murphy's past. Here are some of the questions waiting to be answered:
> 
> ** What will they decide to tell Harper and Monty and how will they take the news?  
> ** Ben has information about Bellamy, but what will he do with it? How exactly is he related?  
> ** Will Murphy go too far in his attempt to protect Raven from her father and take revenge on him?  
> ** Who is Mrs. Carter that Raven met and how is she related to one of our characters? A clue - Murphy will ultimately have some fun with it.  
> ** How will Bellamy and Clarke handle the changes that are going to happen in her life? Is she actually a "Princess"?  
> ** Clarke and Raven have the same extremely rare blood type. How?  
> ** There will be a huge development in Murphy and Raven's relationship that might be a deal breaker.
> 
> These questions and more will be answered so I hope you'll enjoy the next in the series.
> 
> I have been so depressed about the show that last night I decided to write a purely fluff piece, a one shot. Sort of a sexual fantasy kind of story it takes our Bellamy and Clarke out of the 100 and let's them play a bit. It's sexy and I hope funny and I also hope you'll enjoy reading it.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/26773324


End file.
